CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government, in association with NISAU–UK and with the support of TIDCO, has started the India Global Education Summit (IGES) 2026 from Wednesday. Thamizhachi Thangapandian, the Member of Parliament, inaugurated the summit.
In her inaugural address, she said education has been understood as a tool for questioning hierarchy, dismantling inherited inequality and creating opportunity where none existed before.
Claiming that Tamil Nadu today stands as the education capital of India, she added: “The summit is being hosted with TIDCO’s institutional support, which has played a pivotal role in positioning TN as a preferred destination for global investment and knowledge innovation and advanced industries.”
Listing various welfare initiatives by the State government for students in the state, she pointed to Chief Minister Stalin’s breakfast scheme for “our younger students, which is now being followed by the government of Canada”.
A senior TIDCO official stated more than 1,000 delegates from 20 countries were present on the first day of the summit besides participation of several representatives from universities across the globe. Initially, during the summit a series of workshops were conducted for strengthening in-country representation with regard to standards, student’s experience and responsibility.
On the second day of IGES 2026, it will feature keynote addresses by the Chief Minister MK Stalin, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan. The programme includes the exchange of MoUs, launch of the IGNITE Magazine (India Global Network for Innovation, Talent and Education), and other key initiatives, in the presence of senior government officials and national and international education leaders.