LUCKNOW, March 28 -- A TEDx Lucknow event was organised at Jaipuria Institute of Management (JIM) here on Friday. It brought together people from governance, arts, cinema, fashion and other fields under one roof. Speaking on the occasion, former UP chief secretary Alok Ranjan shared how he got the Lucknow-Agra Expressway project completed under his leadership. "While planning and setting objectives for good leadership is fine, execution is the key. All those in leadership roles are brilliant but not all of them succeed in life," he said. "The Lucknow Agra Expressway is the fastest constructed expressway and it was the dream project of then CM Akhilesh Yadav. I was the infrastructure officer for the project initially but it stalled due to financial problems. The project required Rs 15,000 crore," Ranjan added. He shared that after he took over as the chief secretary and met the then CM to discuss priorities, Yadav did not mention the expressway, which prompted Ranjan to ask him about the Lucknow Agra Expressway. "He told me how things were stalled and he had lost hope that it would be completed in the 2.5 years left before the elections. I was reminded of what John F. Kennedy once said: 'Cities don't make roads but roads make cities," the former CS said. "The funds were somehow managed and I began sourcing the human resources. I handpicked the right people who shared ideas and helped efficiently complete the project," Ranjan added. Actor and Kathak dancer Prachee Shah spoke about discipline, passion and artistic excellence. "Art is a lifelong journey of discipline and expression. It teaches resilience and the courage to evolve constantly," she shared. Amit Rai, national award-winning film director and writer (OMG 2), and Madhavi Kukreja, founder, Sanatkada and social entrepreneur, recognised for her work in promoting Lucknow's heritage and empowering artisans, also spoke on the occasion. Sanjay Nigam, founder, Fashion Entrepreneur Fund, and fashion entrepreneur, spoke about nurturing entrepreneurship in the fashion ecosystem. "The vision behind organising these events is to inculcate innovation, encourage dialogue and inspire young minds to think beyond conventional boundaries. The overwhelming response from participants and speakers reflects the success of this initiative," said Jyoti Dewan, Chair, Jaipuria Incubation Foundation....