Silicon Valley veteran Rahul Roy plans summit in California to help get Bengal AI-ready next yearSilicon Valley veteran Rahul Roy has announced Confluence2027, a high-profile summit dedicated to building bridges between West Bengal and the heart of the world’s tech capital. The event is scheduled for April 9–11, 2027, at the prestigious McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California.“The event is designed with AI at its center to help Bengal transition toward the future,” said Roy, who serves as the chief technology officer of ARC Document Solutions, a cloud SaaS company anchoring the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. “The job market has dramatically changed, creating a massive demand for new skillsets. India and Bengal must move fast to keep pace.”Optimistic about the new BJP government in Bengal, Roy who is an entrepreneur, angel investor, tech executive, and philanthropist, believes the summit presents a timely opportunity to address critical skills gaps and integrate AI-driven innovations into the state's educational infrastructure.“Several sectors in India, including IT, are experiencing a deep shock due to the AI wave,” Roy noted. "While the economy is growing, the state’s inventions, innovations, and education systems urgently need an update. We need to overhaul the syllabus so younger generations can acquire these essential new skillsets.” Roy is no stranger to investing in the region; he was an early champion of Kolkata's tech ecosystem, having established an offshore division of ARC in Salt Lake over two decades ago.Curated and designed by industry experts in Silicon Valley, Confluence2027 will intensively focus on frontier AI, medtech, and economic development, over the three days. It will bring together founders, investors, physicians, academicians, and engineers across four flagship forums: Capital, Vertical, Vital, and the cultural forum, Eternal. Fireside conversations, chat rooms, founder-venture capitalist matchmaking meets and a live pitch floor will add heft to the event.“Keeping in mind the needs of Bengal, Medtech is a focus area at the conference to provide a blueprint for healthcare professionals to prepare for the AI age. It will also create a platform for investors to back AI-based start-ups in the region. Several discussion tracks have been created for different AI verticals and vitals. There is something for everyone including large industrialists, young professionals, students, scientists, VCs, investment bankers and start-up founders,” Roy said.As a Bengali, Roy shares a deep emotional connection with the state, where he is currently promoting his upcoming event. “The new West Bengal government has announced a budget with a large allocation for new industrial incentives and infrastructure outlay. This is a golden opportunity for our Silicon Valley event to showcase the state and the resources it offers to international investors,” Roy said. He believes the state government should also step up on the global stage to elevate Bengal through high-profile events such as Confluence2027.And for Roy, this is not just a one-off initiative; he plans to establish this as an annual event for the West Bengal diaspora, creating a sustainable pipeline of talent and investment for the state. “We have a select group of top VCs and CEOs of Bengali origin actively participating,” Roy explained. “Many of them want to give back to their roots in meaningful ways. Two notable figures are Purnendu Chatterjee and Asoke Deysarkar. While Chatterjee already maintains a sizeable presence in Bengal, Deysarkar is actively looking to invest in local startups.”