01/27/2026
Smile Foundation is pleased to be a part of Reading India Samvāad 2026, a national leadership dialogue and roundtable on reading and libraries, hosted by the National Book Trust, India, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The platform focused on advancing reading as a core element of learning and strengthening the role of libraries as shared spaces for knowledge, access and participation.
Aligned with the vision of NEP 2020 and Viksit Bharat@2047, the two-day dialogue brought together policymakers, education leaders, institutions and partners to discuss policy alignment, system-level change, digital pathways and collaboration for building a reading ecosystem that reaches every learner. Discussions highlighted the role of educators, families, institutions and communities in fostering reading habits from early years through adulthood.
Mr. Sushanta Bhuyan, Senior Director – Programmes, Smile Foundation, joined the panel as a Speaker on “Educators as Storytellers & Reading Champions,” alongside representatives from LEAD-Education, Rocket Learning, and Birla Vidya Niketan. The panel shared experiences on how teachers and educators can use storytelling and local context to connect children with books and reading practices.
The event was inaugurated by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education. Participants included representatives from State and UT governments, education bodies, Corporate foundations, publishers and institutions such as UNICEF, UNESCO, NCERT and NITI Aayog.