- Adani University Hosts Global Dialogue on Sustainable Infrastructure
- Clean Energy, Smart Mobility and Skills Take Centre Stage
- Industry–Academia Collaboration in Focus
- Real-World Project Execution Showcased at Scale
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, DEC 19
Adani University hosted the 3rd International Conference on Infrastructure Development and Sustainability (ICIDS 2025) at its Shantigram campus on December 18 and 19, with a clear aim of charting pathways to net-zero, resilient and future-ready cities through integrated infrastructure planning and execution.
Jointly organised by Adani University and Adani Cement, the two-day international conference brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, researchers and students from India and overseas to deliberate on the evolving role of infrastructure as a driver of economic growth, environmental responsibility and human capital development.
Anchored in the theme “Rethinking Infrastructure: Innovation, Sustainability, and the Future of Global Skill Development,” ICIDS 2025 positioned infrastructure as an interconnected socio-technical ecosystem, underscoring the urgency of aligning climate ambition with urban planning, technology adoption and workforce readiness.
Decarbonisation, Digitalisation and Skills at the Core
Speaking at the inaugural session, Vinod Bahety, Chief Executive Officer – Cement Business, Adani Group, highlighted the strong linkage between infrastructure development and economic growth, stressing the need to embed sustainability into planning frameworks. He said infrastructure must integrate decarbonisation, digitalisation and green finance, supported by enabling policies such as carbon markets and regulatory reforms, while underlining that future-ready skills and industry–academia collaboration would be critical to meeting emerging infrastructure demands.
Building Smarter, Not Just Bigger
The technical programme opened with Plenary Session–1 led by Nayan Parikh, Chief Executive Officer, Nayan Parikh & Consultancy, who said the future of infrastructure lies “not in building more assets, but in building smarter, resource-efficient and sustainable systems.” Citing the Indore Smart City example, he demonstrated how strong policy frameworks, technology adoption and citizen participation enabled outcomes such as 100% waste segregation, zero landfill operations and improved environmental quality.
Road to Net-Zero: Systems Thinking for Cities
A fireside chat titled “The Road to Net-Zero: Integrating Clean Energy into Tomorrow’s Infrastructure”, moderated by Namita Pragya of Adani University, brought together Tarun Gupta, Rajeev Pal and Vaneet Kumar. The panel emphasised the need for system-level integration of clean energy across transport, buildings, logistics and urban ecosystems, backed by policy coherence and interdisciplinary skill development.
Execution Excellence Through On-Ground Exposure
The concluding day focused on execution at scale, featuring a technical briefing and guided site visit to the Vishv Umiya Dham project near Ahmedabad—recognised in the Golden Book of World Records for the world’s largest raft foundation. Led by Umesh Soni and Jaimin Patel, the session showcased best practices in large-scale planning, logistics coordination, quality control and safety management.
The academic programme concluded with panel discussions on future-ready mobility, infrastructure workforce skills and smart city real estate transformation. Speaking on workforce evolution, Robin Bhowmik, Chief Executive Officer – Skills & Education, Adani Group, highlighted the rising demand for capabilities in automation, digitalisation, renewable energy and green technologies.
ICIDS 2025 closed with a strong and unified message: India’s infrastructure future hinges on integrating sustainability, technology, skills and execution at scale—driven by deep collaboration between academia, industry and policymakers.
