IICA hosts a high-level NPC delegation to explore collaboration in productivity and sustainability.

New Delhi, January 31, 2025: The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) hosted a high-level delegation from the National Productivity Council (NPC) to explore avenues for collaboration in training, research, productivity enhancement, sustainability, and compliance support.

The NPC delegation was led by Neeraja Shekhar, Director General, and Umashankar Prasad, Deputy Director General (Group).

NPC delegation received a warm reception:

The delegation was warmly received by Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General & CEO, IICA, who felicitated the dignitaries with a shawl and memento.

Addressing the gathering, the DG & CEO of IICA emphasized the rapidly evolving demands of the industry and the importance of institutions staying aligned with national priorities. He noted that India’s leadership has articulated a clear roadmap for the future and stressed that institutions must contribute—both individually and collaboratively—towards achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.

During the visit, Heads of various Schools and Centres of IICA made detailed presentations outlining the institute’s mandate and wide-ranging activities.

These presentations highlighted IICA’s multifaceted role in education, training, research, advocacy, and advisory services, supporting initiatives across both government and private sectors.

Speaking at the interaction, Neeraja Shekhar, Director General, NPC, recalled that the council was established in 1958, soon after India’s independence, at a time when the country faced resource constraints and an urgent need to enhance productivity.

She referred to the historic productivity delegation to Japan, which laid the foundation for institutionalizing productivity efforts in India.

She noted that NPC has since expanded its scope from the industrial sector to agriculture, services, MSMEs, sustainability, green productivity, and ESC-linked initiatives. Highlighting NPC’s engagement with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), she said the council facilitates international exposure through inter-country study visits, expert exchanges, and productivity benchmarking frameworks. These initiatives support assessments of Industrial readiness, organizational capability, financial strength, and manufacturing maturity, particularly for MSMEs.

IICA and NPC have shown intent for the policy research:

Both institutions expressed a strong intent to move forward collaboratively, combining IICA’s strength in policy research, training, and advisory services with NPC’s implementation-driven productivity expertise.

The partnership aims to support India’s transition towards a high-income, competitive, innovative, and sustainable economy.

The event was coordinated by Dr. Naveen Sirohi, Head, School of Finance and Management, IICA.

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EOM.