Kolkata's New Model of IP (Imagination Property) - From Quantum Computing to Celebrity Fashion

This will come as a nasty shocker for most people in India, specially a section of expatriate Bengalis, who take an immense perverse pride in being over-critical about the state, its capital city Kolkata and its citizens. Perhaps it is their way of justifying the business-case of their leaving the city seeking better pastures elsewhere in the country or beyond its shores. Kolkata, per the latest Nature Index has emerged as India's number one in scientific research output - made possible to a large extent by the frontier research carried out in its institutions like Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Bose Institute, or private academic institutes like the TCG Crest.

This has been in the making for the last several years, almost silently, below the surface, without the boastfulness of India's new and emerging metropolises with their swanky shopping malls, entertainment centers, bumper-to-bumper traffic, flooded streets, summers of drought, or chocking atmosphere where every new-born child comes to the world with smokers' lungs.

For decades, Kolkata, the former jewel of British India, has been cast in a singular light: a city of crumbling grandeur, disorderly streets, and slow economic decline. But Kolkata, long celebrated for its cultural richness, is quietly redefining itself as a crucible of innovation—one that offers a radically different blueprint for India’s technological and intellectual future. It's an innovation model powered by human creativity something that is yet to be automated or standardized.

This is not a story of billion-dollar unicorns or glass-and-steel campuses; it is the story of a city drawing from its soul, history, and grassroots ingenuity to chart a new course.

A Cultural Blueprint for Creativity

If there’s one festival that encapsulates Kolkata’s inventive spirit, it’s Durga Puja. Every autumn, the city transforms into a kaleidoscope of creativity as artisans, designers, and engineers collaborate to build temporary structures—pandals—that rival the world’s most avant-garde art installations. These aren’t merely celebrations of faith but intricate expressions of narrative and form, blending architecture, sculpture, and light in unprecedented ways.

This festival, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, is also an economic juggernaut worth US$10 billion, spawning an entire ecosystem of jobs and industries. More importantly, it demonstrates a truth often overlooked in India’s tech-forward cities: innovation thrives when deeply rooted in culture and community. In Kolkata, the lines between art and engineering blur, and this fluidity might just be its most compelling asset.

A Designer Who Redefined IP

On a different stage, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the celebrated fashion designer, exemplifies Kolkata’s ability to reimagine tradition. Sabyasachi’s company, Sabyasachi Calcutta LLP, has filed a staggering 916 design patents—an unprecedented number for an Indian individual or business. His work draws from India’s artisanal traditions, yet it is unmistakably modern, proving that the global stage is not beyond reach for those who dare to innovate.

In a country often celebrated for its cost competitiveness, Sabyasachi has shown that intellectual capital—rooted in design and heritage—can also command a premium. He has put Kolkata on the global design map, offering a template for how creativity can be scaled and protected.

Science and the New Renaissance

But perhaps the most surprising turn in Kolkata’s narrative comes from its emergence as a hub for cutting-edge scientific research. At the heart of this transformation is TCG Crest, a research institute that has quietly propelled Kolkata to the top of India’s rankings in scientific output.

Quantum Computing and Beyond

TCG Crest is blazing trails in quantum computation, a field that promises to reshape industries from drug discovery to climate modeling. Its work on simulating complex quantum systems is not only academically groundbreaking but also holds the potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Batteries of the Future

In another wing of the institute, researchers are advancing next-generation battery technologies, including solid-state and sodium-ion batteries. As the world races toward renewable energy solutions, these innovations could redefine global energy storage systems.

Mathematics Meets Reality

Kolkata’s intellectual legacy is also being revitalized through TCG Crest’s translational mathematics program. By bridging theoretical math with real-world applications, the institute is breathing new life into a discipline often seen as abstract, turning equations into tangible solutions for complex problems.

Innovation Beyond Silicon Valleys

What makes Kolkata’s journey so remarkable is that it doesn’t fit the Silicon Valley mold. It isn’t a city of tech campuses or venture capital frenzies. Instead, it draws from its cultural roots, its history of intellectual ferment, and its resilience. This is a city where art, science, and commerce intersect in unexpected ways, creating a unique model for innovation that feels deeply human.

For India, this is a lesson worth embracing. For too long, the country’s innovation narrative has revolved around cost arbitrage—cheaper code, cheaper manufacturing. Kolkata reminds us that innovation is not just about efficiency; it’s about vision, imagination, and identity.

Rethinking India’s Intellectual Capital

As the world looks to India for the next wave of innovation, Kolkata’s story offers a vital counterpoint. It urges us to think differently—not just about Kolkata but about what it means to innovate in a country as complex and diverse as India.

Kolkata is scripting a new tale, one that is both aspirational and accessible. It is a tale of how a city, seemingly left behind, is showing the way forward—not by imitating others but by staying true to itself.

Perhaps it’s time we stopped comparing Kolkata to Bangalore or Mumbai. Kolkata is its own story, and it’s one worth telling.