The countdown has begun for one of India’s most awaited higher education gatherings – EDNXT Lucknow 2025, presented by The Economic Times. Scheduled for 11 December 2025 at The Centrum, Lucknow, this premier summit will bring together the country’s foremost education leaders, policymakers, and innovators to reimagine the future of higher learning.

As the academic capital of northern India, Lucknow is poised to take centre stage in shaping conversations around employability, excellence, and the next decade of higher education reform. The summit’s theme “Driving India’s Growth Story: Higher Education, Employability & Excellence” reflects not just a vision, but a mission to transform policy into practice.

Uttar Pradesh: India’s higher education heartlandUttar Pradesh holds a unique place in India’s education map. With its immense academic ecosystem and a growing culture of innovation, the state has become a driving force behind India’s learning and leadership landscape. From historic institutions such as IIT (BHU) Varanasi and MNNIT Allahabad to rapidly emerging centres like IIIT Lucknow and Gautam Buddha University, the state is witnessing a renaissance in research, technology adoption, and policy execution.

For The Economic Times Education, hosting EDNXT Lucknow 2025 in Uttar Pradesh is both symbolic and strategic. The state represents the scale, diversity, and ambition that define India’s higher education aspirations – making it the ideal setting to shape national transformation.

Lucknow: A city of leadership and learningLucknow’s growing prominence as an education and innovation hub is no coincidence. Its expanding network of universities, policy think-tanks, and research-driven institutions has positioned the city as a bridge between academic heritage and modern excellence. The choice of Lucknow as the host city underscores its role as a rising centre for educational leadership, technology integration, and institutional collaboration.

At EDNXT Lucknow 2025, the city will play host to dynamic conversations around how universities can align learning outcomes with employability, how leadership can drive systemic change, and how India can strengthen its position as a global education destination.

Leading voices at EDNXT Lucknow 2025The summit will feature an eminent lineup of leaders and policymakers shaping India’s higher education narrative, including:

Dr Hari Om, Principal Secretary, Vocational Education & Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh;
Prof (Dr) Fuad, Education and Culture Attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, New Delhi
Dr Arun Mohan Sherry, Founding Director, IIIT Lucknow;
Prof Amit Patra, Director, IIT (BHU) Varanasi;
Dr Mukul Sutaone, Director, IIIT Allahabad;
Prof Manuka Khanna, Vice Chancellor, University of Lucknow;
Prof Rama Shanker Verma, Director, MNNIT Allahabad;
Prof Rana Pratap Singh, Vice Chancellor, Gautam Buddha University;
Ajay Prakash Shrivastava, Chancellor, Maharishi University of Information Technology;
Dr Sachin Gupta, Chancellor, Sanskriti University;
and Dr Aman Mittal, Vice President, Lovely Professional University, among many other visionary leaders.

Each will share perspectives on leadership, innovation, and the actionable reforms needed to make higher education more employable, inclusive, and globally competitive.

A platform for change

EDNXT Lucknow 2025 is not just another conference; it is a national platform for progress. It will bring together hundreds of decision-makers, academic leaders, and innovators to co-create frameworks that advance employability, equity, and excellence in higher education.

Beyond the sessions, the summit promises deep networking opportunities, cross-sector collaborations, and powerful exchanges that will help shape the country’s higher education roadmap for the coming decade.

As the education community looks ahead to 2025 and beyond,The Economic Times Education – EDNXT Lucknow 2025 stands as a symbol of collective ambition – where policy meets practice, and ideas turn into impact.

The relevance of this moment

India’s higher-education system encompasses with more than 45,000 colleges and over 43 million students enrolled in higher education. (As per AISHE) – which makes it central to national growth, talent creation and competitiveness. The release of NEP 2020 offered a roadmap for multidisciplinarity, skill development, and equity. Yet, significant challenges remain: employability gaps, readiness for Industry 4.0, equitable access, and alignment with industry and global trends.

EDNXT Lucknow 2025 is timely because it:

• Translates policy ambitions into institutional strategy.
• Strengthens the discourse on employability and future skills.
• Engages large and diverse states like UP, where scalable innovation can drive national change.
• Connects academia, industry, and policymakers to catalyse holistic reform.

Key takeaways for participants and stakeholders

• Policy-to-practice frameworks: Practical NEP implementation models.
• Employability roadmaps: Strategies for future-ready graduates and entrepreneurs.
• Collaborative partnerships: Proven industry–academia models for innovation.
• Inclusive growth: Tools for bridging rural-urban divides and supporting under-represented learners.
• Leadership development: Sessions to strengthen institutional governance and innovation culture.

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