In spite of Mamata Banerjee’s continuing aversion towards the Tatas (since the Singur episode), one of the large Tata Group companies, Tata Steel Processing and Distribution (formerly known as Tata Ryerson) is quietly working on organising an even which can turn out to be the biggest conclave of tech gurus, technopreneurs and captains of industry in Kolkata.

Pan IIT Alumni India (PIAI), the body of alumni associations of all existing IITs-settled in India and abroad will hold its next Global IIT Alumni Conference in Kolkata. Pan IIT takes up initiatives, activities and projects on the basis of deliberations and global networking. Global IIT Alumni Conferences called Pan IIT take place every alternate year in India and the US.

Pan IIT conclaves first began at San Jose, US in 2003 and so far the event has taken place in Delhi, Maryland (US), Mumbai, Santa Clara (US), Chennai, Chicago (US), Noida and New York (US).

It may be recalled that ever since Mamata Banerjee government assumed office in May 2011, Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata and topbrass of other Tata Group companies have been among the notable absentees in any of the state government’s interfaces with industry. In fact they were not invited in most of the cases.

However, this time round, Sandipan Chakravortty, managing director, Tata Steel Processing And Distribution and an alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur, who has already started burning midnight oil of the conclave, is sending out mailers to all IITians to “make it the best and most effective Pan IIT event till now”.

“The whole endeavour aims at offering all IITians the opportunity to combine the fun of networking with serious efforts to give something back to the society,” Chakravortty said, adding that the theme for Pan IIT 2012 would be “Excel, transform, sustain”. The event would take place between December 7 and 9 in Kolkata.

The three-day meet will offer enough scope to the young and old IITians to meet with their batchmates and get to the latest about their alma mater.

“On the serious business part, Pan IIT 2012 will provide networking opportunities for members of the IIT system and thereby contributing proactively to the development process. One can also broaden one’s business network through one on one meetings, where possible and even transform one’s entrepreneurial ideas into success,” said Chakravortty.

From the IITs’ perspectives, a conclave of this nature and magnitude is expected to engage with the IIT governance and vision, provide a forum for advocacy and eventually enhance and strengthen the brand IIT.