POBNEWS24, Dhaka May 9, 2026 : Although Bangladesh has come a long way since 1971, it has not yet achieved the expected success in some areas. However, mutual understanding between the two countries can take these forward, which Bangladeshi journalists could not have understood if they had not recently gone to the field. Especially the medical system and the IT sector. Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri has also assured that India has always been and will always be by the side of the people of Bangladesh.
Mumbai is one of the most important cities in South Asia for Bangladeshis, especially in the fields of business, medicine and higher education. It is the financial capital of India. There is a large market here in textiles, garments, IT, media, pharmaceuticals and import-export. Bangladeshi businessmen have long used Mumbai especially for importing clothes, leather, medicines, machinery and cosmetics. B2B communication is easy as the head offices of big Indian companies are in Mumbai. Trade operations are convenient due to the seaport and international banking facilities.
Bangladesh can benefit from IITs in the following ways:
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay or IIT Bombay is one of the strongest technology and research institutions in South Asia. If Bangladesh can strategically associate with this institution, it can benefit greatly in education, technology, industry, startups and human resource development.
How Bangladesh can benefit, such as: High-quality technology education and research IIT Bombay is working on various advanced technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, robotics, quantum computing, energy and sustainable development. If Bangladesh can launch joint research, faculty exchange or scholarship programs, then the quality of research in the country’s universities will increase, technology-based human resources will be created, and university-industry connections will be strengthened.
IIT Bombay has a strong network of entrepreneurs and alumni who are working in deep-tech, AI, space tech, etc. Young entrepreneurs in Bangladesh can gain practical experience and international networks through joint incubation, hackathons, research-based startups, and technology licensing.
IIT Bombay has already transferred over 100 technologies to industry. Bangladesh can benefit from this in particular: agricultural technology, waste management, renewable energy, health technology, smart manufacturing. Creating skilled manpower for industry and IT sectors
Bangladesh’s IT and software industry is growing rapidly, but high-quality research-based skills are still limited. If training programs, online certifications, joint labs, industry-academia programs are launched with IIT Bombay, the country’s technology sector will be more competitive. Internationalization of Bangladeshi universities
IIT Bombay has international partnerships and has also listed partnerships with Daffodil International University in Bangladesh.
In the future, broader academic collaborations with BUET, Dhaka University, CUET/KUET/RUET, and private universities of technology are possible.
Bangladesh generally looks more towards Western or Chinese technology. But practical regional cooperation with Indian technology institutions can be implemented quickly, at low cost, linguistically and culturally, and easily. Bangladesh-India joint research can be effective, especially in climate change, urbanization, disaster management, and affordable health technology. It has been learned that there are some limitations in this. Fluctuations in political relations, visa and bureaucratic complications, limitations in research funding, weakness of research infrastructure in Bangladesh, brain drain, etc. will be difficult to get full benefits if these issues are not resolved. However, it can be said that academic and technical cooperation with IIT Bombay can significantly benefit Bangladesh in these areas: creating skilled technologists, research development, startup ecosystem, industrial modernization, AI and deep-tech capabilities. Especially, such institutional cooperation can be very effective in moving from “Digital Bangladesh” to “Smart Bangladesh”. Recently, some Bangladeshi journalists went to Delhi and Mumbai, India, and spoke to many institutions and confirmed that the medical system in Delhi and Bombay is of very high quality, but there are some hospitals in which patients are being cheated by Bangladeshi brokers, one of which is the Asian Hospital in Faridabad. A terrible kidney cycle has developed in that hospital. It is known that sometimes polish red is given to the hospital. However, it is known that why Bangladeshis prefer Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi, after talking to some patients, it is known that it is comparatively cheaper than Western countries to get advanced treatment, Bengali/Hindi language is partially understood. There is an interpreter or local support. However, the problem is that the cost of accommodation and food is high along with treatment.
On the other hand, bilateral talks are underway to advance the stalled cooperation between Bangladesh and India. India is trying to revive these processes and gradually activate them in the one and a half years of the interim government.
Which was described as a planned initiative by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri.
