IIF Eastern Region hosts EASCON 2026 at HHI, Kolkata on Jan 10, 2026

#anandosangbadlive IIF Eastern Region hosts EASCON 2026 at HHI, Kolkata on Jan 10, 2026 The Institute of Indian Foundrymen (IIF), Eastern Region along with its Kolkata, Howrah, Jamshedpur and Durgapur Chapters, organized the Eastern Regional Conference EASCON 2026 on Saturday, January 10, 2026, commencing at 10:00 AM at Hotel Hindusthan International, Kolkata. Established in 1950 and headquartered in Kolkata, the Institute of Indian Foundrymen (IIF) promotes excellence in metal casting and serves as a national reference point for the Indian Foundry Industry and its customers and suppliers by fostering education, research, training, technology transfer and global industry engagement through 24 Chapters all over India. Held under the theme “Destination East – Let’s Grow Together,” EASCON 2026 aims to highlight emerging casting market opportunities in Eastern India, with a special focus on Bengal and inviting foundrymen across India to participate in the growth of foundries here in the East. The conference began with an Inaugural Session followed by Technical Sessions and Panel Discussions. The event was graced by Mr. B. N. Agarwal, Managing Partner, R B Agarwalla & Co., as Chief Guest and Mr. Sushil Sharma, President IIF as Guest of Honour. Mr. S. Muthukumar, National Treasurer, IIF, and Mr. Navneet Agarwal, Imm. Past President, IIF, were present as Special Guests. EASCON 2026 was chaired by Past President IIF Mr. Vijay Beriwal, Co-Chaired by Past Hon. Treasurer Mr. Pradeep Madhogaria and mentored by Past President Mr. Ravi Sehgal. Mr Gautam Dutta, Chairman, IIF-Eastern Region, welcomed all the delegates and described the conference as a “Statement of Intent”. In his inaugural address, he specifically articulated the collective vision to restore Howrah’s historical legacy as the “Sheffield of India.” He further emphasized, “Our goal is to create a confluence of ideas, innovation, policy dialogue, and partnerships.” Mr S Muthukumar, Hon Treasurer, IIF, stressed on enhancing student engagement by organizing conclaves and factory visits. He also suggested establishing dedicated technical committees to address casting defects and conduct transparent “Case Study Competitions.” He further emphasized inviting leaders from other industrial associations to IIF events to create a unified industrial ecosystem. Mr Navneet Agarwal, Past President, IIF, shed light on the tariff challenges being currently faced by the Foundry Industry. Further, he encouraged to encash the new generation’s hunger to adapt to new technologies. Mr Vijay S Beriwal, Past President, IIF, appreciated Young Engineer’s Forum, an IIF initiative. In line with this, he further encouraged students from this forum (Student Chapter) to come up with new skills, technologies and initiatives that would benefit the foundry sector and vice versa. Mr Sushil Sharma, President, IIF, appreciated the Eastern Region’s consistent growth over the years. However, he suggested to change the product line for the Eastern Region. He also acknowledged the contribution of National Centre for Export Promotion (NCEP), a Centre of Excellence, in organizing various international visits, networking and collaborations. Additionally, he urged the foundry fraternity to take advantage of various the National Centre for Skill Development (NCSD) course modules. He mentioned about the Indian Foundry Congress (IFC), IIF’s flagship initiative, to be held with magnanimity in Mumbai from February 12-14, 2026. He further announced that the exhibition space of 15,300 sq.m. for the Indian Foundry Exhibition (IFEX), which will be held concurrently, is completely sold out. Chief Guest Mr B N Agarwal, Managing Partner, R B Agarwala & Co, urged IIF and its Chapters and Regions to continue working in close partnership. He further said, “Indian Foundry industry is not just growing, it is transforming.” The vote of thanks was offered by Mr Ranjan Guha, Hon Secretary, IIF-Eastern Region, at the end of the inaugural session. Panel on Support to MSME Foundries moderated by Mr. Vijay Shankar Beriwal, Managing Partner, Calcutta Iron Udyog and Past President IIF, featuring Mr Bikram Kumar Das, Regional Head (East), NSDC; Mr Swadhin Gayen, Addl Chief Engineer, WBSEDCL; Ms Bhaswati Sinha, Superintendent Engineer (Commerce), WBSEDCL; Ms Malabika Roy, Manager, District Industries Centre; Mr Rahul Amin, Industrial Development Officer, District Industries Centre; and Mr Bimalendu Mal, Environmental Engineer, the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB). Key Pointers from the Panel Discussion on MSME Support for Foundry  Financial Incentives o The Banglashree incentive scheme is still open for new units that begin commercial production by March 31, 2025. o Disbursement of pending subsidies is being expedited by the government. o Older schemes (WBIS 2013 and WBTIIS 2022) are closed to new applications, with focus on clearing existing claims.