Maharashtra Education & Corporate Awards 2026: Fourth Edition To Be Held In Pune On September 5
Pune, 30th August 2026: The fourth edition of the Maharashtra Education & Corporate Awards will be held on September 5, 2026, at Sunny’s World in Pune, bringing together leaders from the education and corporate sectors.
Organised by Jobizza, the event will felicitate 30 leaders, including 15 from the education sector and 15 from the corporate sector. The awards are being held on Teacher’s Day and are based on the theme, “Where Academia Celebrates Industry, and Industry Celebrates Academia.”
Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil will attend the event as the Chief Guest, while Anna Saheb Bansode will be the Guest of Honour.
The event will also be attended by Prof. (Dr.) Parag Kalkar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University; Nilesh Kankariya, Founder and CEO, NSquare Xperts; Dinesh Bhoir, GST Commissioner, Pune; Prasad Gorase, Additional GST Commissioner; Shiv Kumar Salunkhe, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Pune Zone; Deepali Divekar, Gazetted Officer, School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra; Rajesh Warkade, Assistant Scheme Officer, School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra; Atul Chandrashekhar Wankhade, Superintendent, Pay Unit, Secondary Education, Yavatmal; Raghavendra Kumar, known as the ‘Helmet Man of India’; and music director Anand Raj Anand.
Vice-Chancellors and jury members of the Maharashtra Think Tank will also participate in the evaluation process.
The organisers said the initiative seeks to address the gap between the skills developed through formal education and the requirements of the corporate sector. The awards will recognise leaders for their contributions to leadership, innovation and impact across education and industry.
The education category includes Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Directors and Principals, while the corporate category includes CEOs, CHROs, CXOs, Managing Directors and Founders.
Focus on academia-industry collaboration
The awards were founded by Dr. Gaurav Sharma, founder of Jobizza, a Pune-based talent and HR solutions company that has been providing recruitment, training, staffing and placement services since 2014.
Speaking about the fourth edition, Sharma said the initiative remains focused on strengthening collaboration between educational institutions and industry.
“Marking three successful years of this event, we remain deeply committed to contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. A Viksit Maharashtra is key to driving this national progress forward, and this initiative serves as a vital step in that journey,” he said.
Sharma said the event was created to address concerns raised by both employers and educational institutions regarding employability and job opportunities.
“Corporates say they can’t find the right candidates; academia says there aren’t enough jobs. We built the Maharashtra Education & Corporate Awards to bridge that gap — and chose Teacher’s Day, September 5, because honouring our teachers is our first duty,” he said.
Pass98 returns as key sponsor
Pass98, an AI-powered interview-practice platform designed to help students and job seekers prepare for interviews through AI voice interviews, feedback and readiness scoring, will return as the event’s key sponsor.
The platform provides interview preparation across areas including technology, finance, consulting, marketing, operations and human resources.
Nitesh Kankaria, CEO of Pass98 and key sponsor of the awards, said the company supports initiatives aimed at strengthening the connection between education and industry.
“There’s a real gap between academic learning and industry expectations, and Pass98 exists to bridge exactly that gap for students preparing for interviews. As a corporate, we believe we have a social responsibility to bring academia and industry together,” Kankaria said.
Shital Watile, owner of Jagdamba College of Engineering, Yavatmal, and a sponsor of the awards, said recognising educators could encourage innovation and continued development in the education sector.
“The Maharashtra Education Award is a significant milestone in the education sector. By recognising the tireless efforts of educators under the guidance of Minister Chandrakant Patil, this initiative bridges academia and industry, inspiring continuous growth and innovation,” Watile said.
The organisers said the fourth edition will continue their focus on strengthening long-term collaboration between educational institutions and businesses, with the broader objective of preparing students and the workforce for the changing requirements of the economy.
