Pune: Celebrating the landmark spirit of “Where Academia Celebrates Industry, and Industry Celebrates Academia,” the fourth edition of the Maharashtra Education & Corporate Awards 2026 concluded on a high note on Teacher’s Day, September 5, 2026, at Sunny’s World, Pune.
Organized by Jobizza, a Pune-based HR and talent solutions firm founded by Dr. Gaurav Sharma, the prestigious gathering brought together over 600 influential leaders, policymakers, and changemakers. The evening saw the felicitation of 30 distinguished leaders—15 each from academia and the corporate sector—celebrating their exceptional leadership, innovation, and contributions toward building a future-ready workforce.
The event was held in association with Key Sponsor Pass98, an AI-powered interview-readiness platform, alongside sponsorship support from Jagdamba College of Engineering, Yavatmal.
Gracing the ceremony as Chief Guest, Hon’ble Chandrakant Patil, Minister of Higher & Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra, highlighted the vital imperative of inclusive, accessible education and deep industry collaboration: “Women should be encouraged to study and earn; their potential shouldn’t be confined to the home. We must open substantial online and flexible work opportunities for women. Academia and industry must work hand-in-hand to generate real employment avenues. Crucially, education must remain affordable and excellent—unless institutions offer low-cost, high-quality education and corporates actively recruit talent through campus interviews, India’s future cannot reach its full potential.”
A high-powered panel and interactive session moderated by Prof. (Dr.) Parag Kalkar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University, explored actionable frameworks to bridge the gap between academic curricula and corporate expectations.
Dr. Nitin Karmalkar (Former Vice-Chancellor, SPPU) said, “Without active industry engagement, we cannot develop meaningful talent or deploy relevant resources. The corporate ecosystem must step up and collaborate actively with academia to shape real-world competencies.”
Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University said, “The single best intervention corporate India can make is strengthening our teaching ecosystem. Our nation faces a major shortage of well-equipped educators. When we empower and invest in our teachers, we secure the destiny and future of India.”
Dr. Sonawane, Vice-Chancellor, Pimpri Chinchwad Education Trust’s PCMC University said, “Academia and industry must advance together to ensure a win-win outcome for students and employers alike. At our university, we have integrated industry practitioners directly into 30% of our curriculum design and teaching, making our graduates immediately future-ready.”
The leadership forum also witnessed valuable inputs from eminent dignitaries including Dr. B. B. Ahuja – VC, JSPM University, Dr. Rajesh Ingle – VC, DES Pune University, Kirit Mandavgane – Chief Strategy Officer at NSquare Xperts, and Ajay Wadhwa – CEO, Tata Motors Global Services Ltd., who collectively underscored the urgent need to move beyond standard degree-granting toward co-created industrial skill pipelines.
A total of 30 leaders—encompassing Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Directors, and Principals on one side, and CEOs, Founders, CHROs, and CXOs on the other—were formally honored for bridging the talent divide and championing institutional innovation.
Reaffirming the founding ethos of the platform, Dr. Gaurav Sharma, Founder of Jobizza and the Maharashtra Education & Corporate Awards, noted: “Corporates often lament a lack of job-ready candidates, while educational institutes point to a deficit of suitable jobs. We built this forum to replace that divide with mutual dialogue. Aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat, a Viksit Maharashtra will lead India’s growth engine. Celebrating our teachers and industry mentors on September 5th reaffirms our dedication to co-creating a sustainable, world-class talent ecosystem.”
