Over 3k students and 300 startups gather at JNTUA conclave

Anantapur: Fostering innovation, youth entrepreneurship, and industry-academia synergy, the two-day national-level ‘Innovators Conclave-2026’ concluded on a grand note at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur (JNTUA) on Sunday.

Organized under the aegis of Vistara Vidyaanidhi Trust on October 24 and 25, the conclave witnessed massive participation from over 3,000 students, 300 startups, and 80 industry leaders.

The event was inaugurated by JNTUA Vice-Chancellor Dr H Sudarsana Rao, SKU Vice-Chancellor Prof NVR Jyothi Kumar, former Special Chief Secretary JA Chowdary, and Accenture Global Managing Director Gopal Pingali.

Day one featured high-level leadership dialogues on industrial innovation, strategic technologies, and national security. Day two shifted focus toward the startup ecosystem, venture funding, technology governance, and specialized workshops on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. A major highlight of the conclave was the national student hackathon, where winners were awarded total cash prizes worth ₹9 lakhs.

Team ‘Medora’—comprising students from PES College, REVA University, and GITAM University—bagged the first prize of ₹5 lakhs. Team ‘Vyntra’ from BITM, Ballari, won the second prize of ₹3 lakhs, while Team ‘Imperion’ from Muthayammal Engineering College, Tamil Nadu, secured the third prize of ₹1 lakh.

Organizers extended special gratitude to Vice-Chancellor Dr H Sudarsana Rao for hosting the event, emphasizing that educational institutions must evolve into research hubs that prepare students for real-world business environments.

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The Hans India