PubliCon 2025

FICCI recently organized PubliCon 2025 with the theme “Role of Publishers in Research & Innovation” on August 5, 2025 at FICCI, New Delhi. The event brought together key stakeholders from publishing, academia, research, and policy to discuss the evolving role of the publishing industry in strengthening India’s knowledge economy.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Ranjana Aggarwal, Outstanding Scientist, CSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt of India emphasized the importance of inclusive publishing—with a particular focus on Indian languages—and the integration of indigenous knowledge systems into mainstream academic and research discourse.

While, Neeraj Jain, Chair of the FICCI Publishing Committee and Managing Director, Scholastic India, emphasized that publishing today goes beyond books — it plays a pivotal role in building a robust knowledge ecosystem that supports research, innovation, and national growth. Citing the effective collaboration during the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). He urged publishers to act not just as content providers but as equal stakeholders in India’s development story.

Shilpy Kochhar, Head – Business Development & Communications at BIRAC, emphasised the need for stronger science communication to bridge the gap between innovation and society. She called on publishers to simplify complex research, promote multilingual content, and focus on real-world impact beyond academic metrics. She urged greater collaboration between publishers and innovation agencies to make science accessible, inclusive, and engaging for wider audiences.

While, Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, MD, Springer Nature India, underscored the urgent need for a national open access policy to combat predatory publishing and enable a phased transition to OA. Highlighting limited research funding and lack of grant support for publishing, he advocated for regional pricing and a shift in library roles.

Madhvendra Narayan from the Indian National Science Academy noted that while technology has streamlined workflows and expanded global access through platforms like Springer, the fundamentals of publishing remain the same.

FICCI Publishing Awards were also given away during the event.

Special Address on Expectations from STM Publishers in Advancing Research & Innovation was given by Shilpy Kochhar, Head – Business Development & Communications, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

A Panel discussion on “Challenges & Opportunities for STM Publishers” was moderated by Shilpy Kochhar. The panelists for the session were Qudsiya Ahmed, Head of Publishing, Academic, Cambridge University Press, Dr. Sugata Ghosh, Deputy Managing Director, Sage South Asia, Vikas Chawla, Associate Director Publishing, Wolters Kluwer India & Dr. Prashant Mishra, Managing Director – India & South Asia, BMJ Group.

A Panel discussion on “Evolving Role of Academic & STM Publishers” was moderated by Piyush Prasad, VP & Head – Education, Research and Training, IHFC, Technology Innovation Hub, IIT Delhi. The panelists for the session were Vikesh Dhyani, Co-Founder & Director, Oakbridge Publishing, Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, Managing Director, Springer Nature India, Madhvendra Narayan, History of Science, Science Promotion, Archive and Library, Indian National Science Academy & Mr. Praveen Bist, Chief Information Officer, Amrita Hospital.

A Panel discussion on “Publishing with Purpose: Research-Driven Children’s Books” was moderated by Neeraj Jain, Chair, FICCI Publishing Committee and Managing Director, Scholastic India. The panelists for the session were Himanshu Giri, CEO, Pratham Books, Priyanka Mehta Agarwal, Founder, Sam & Mi & Aditi Misra, Director, DPSI & Dharav High Schools and Director Principal, DPS Gurgaon.

A session on AI for Research and Publishing for Publishers & Authors had addresses by Senthil Nathan, founder/CEO, Ailaysa AI and Dolly Bhasin, Founder, SmartEdge.

The event was attended by over 150 plus delegates from various Government agencies, regional associations, libraries, CXOs from publishing, authors, illustrators, publishing service providers, marketing managers, and aspiring publishing professionals, researchers etc.