Driven by students: IIT Hyd hosts Inter-IIT UG innovation meet

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) hosted its 3rd Innovation Day on campus, bringing together students, faculty, innovators, industry leaders, and policymakers for a day-long celebration of creativity, technology, and problem-solving. The event showcased student-driven innovations through exhibitions and live demonstrations and marked a major milestone with the launch of the first-ever Inter-IIT Undergraduate Innovation Meet – RISE 2026 (Reimagining Innovation in Science and Engineering @ IITs).

The programme was attended by over 1,000 participants and was graced by Chief Guest Dr BVR Mohan Reddy, Founder Chairman of Cyient, and Guest of Honour Jayesh Ranjan, IAS. Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, senior faculty members, industry partners, and representatives from government and academia were also present.

Innovation Day reflected IITH’s commitment to embedding innovation early in the academic journey and creating pathways for students to translate ideas into impactful solutions. The campus transformed into a vibrant innovation hub as students from IITs and neighbouring engineering colleges engaged with ideas spanning advanced technologies, sustainability, healthcare, and societal applications.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Dr BVR Mohan Reddy said the event comes at a crucial time for India, which faces both significant opportunities and challenges. He noted that achieving the vision of a USD 30-trillion economy would require strong talent, capital, markets, and supportive policies, along with institutions that foster innovation. Highlighting the role of IIT Hyderabad, he said such institutions nurture problem-solvers by strengthening fundamentals and encouraging hands-on learning, contributing to India’s aspiration to become a global innovation leader.

Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said innovation is central to the institute’s identity. “Innovation is in the DNA of IITH, as reflected in our motto, ‘Inventing & Innovating in Technology for Humanity.’ We consciously nurture innovation from the very first year of undergraduate education. The 3rd Innovation Day and the launch of the first Inter-IIT Undergraduate Innovation Meet mark important steps towards fostering a shared innovation culture across IITs,” he said.

Nikhil Chakravarthi J, Director, Commissionerate of Industries, Government of Telangana, also addressed the audience and expressed pride in IIT Hyderabad’s role as a leader in technological innovation. He commended initiatives such as BUILD, BHARATI, and the Patent-a-Day programme for strengthening the institute’s innovation ecosystem. He highlighted the Telangana government’s proactive support through measures such as interest subvention schemes, SGST reimbursements, T-Hub, and funding support for manufacturing industries, aimed at bridging academia–industry gaps and building a robust incubation ecosystem at IITH.

A key highlight of the day was the Inter-IIT Undergraduate Innovation Meet – RISE 2026. The competition received over 100 applications from undergraduate teams across IITs, with more than 30 teams shortlisted and over 20 teams pitching their innovations on campus. Teams from 10 IITs participated, including IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Mandi, IIT BHU, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Guwahati, IIT Jammu, and IIT Patna.

The competition featured a total prize pool of ₹15 lakh, supported by Cyient Foundation, underscoring strong industry–academia collaboration. Awards included ₹5 lakh for the winner, ₹3 lakh for the first runner-up, ₹2 lakh for the second runner-up, and five special awards of ₹1 lakh each for first-year undergraduate students. The awards recognised originality, technical depth, societal relevance, and scalability.

Summing up the event, Prof. C. Malla Reddy, Dean of Innovation, Translation & Start-ups at IITH, said Innovation Day and RISE 2026 reaffirmed IIT Hyderabad’s role as a national hub for student-driven innovation, laying the foundation for a recurring platform that promotes collaboration, healthy competition, and the exchange of ideas across the IIT ecosystem.