IIIT Hyderabad Celebrates 29th Foundation Day with focus on Navigating the Future of AI & Technology

Hyderabad, September 2, 2026: The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT Hyderabad) celebrated its 29th Foundation Day this evening on campus, with a special focus on ‘Navigating the Future of AI & Technology’.
The evening featured BVR Mohan Reddy, Founder Chairman & Board Member, Cyient and former Chairman, NASSCOM, as the Chief Guest and keynote speaker. His presence highlighted the critical role of collaboration between academia and industry in driving innovation, developing talent and translating research into real-world impact at a time when AI and emerging technologies are transforming the technology ecosystem.
A key highlight of the celebrations was the plenary panel on “Deepening Industry-Academia Collaboration.” The discussion brought together three senior industry leaders — Sirisha Voruganti, CEO & MD, Lloyds Technology Centre India; Mohit Dhingra, CEO & President, CIBC India; and Ramesh Kaza, EVP & Country Head, LPL GCC.
The panel explored how industry and academia can build stronger and more meaningful partnerships, with a focus on opportunities for collaboration in research, talent development, innovation and emerging technologies. The discussion also highlighted the value of creating sustained pathways for knowledge exchange and translating academic research into industry and societal impact.
The Foundation Day celebrations marked the establishment of the JA Chowdary Faculty Chair, supported by JA Chowdary, Founder of ISF and Junicorn100K and a key architect of India’s technology ecosystem.
A corpus has been allocated towards the Chair, which aims to strengthen IIIT Hyderabad’s research and innovation in emerging technologies, while catalysingcutting-edge research and deeper industry-academia collaboration.
The celebrations also featured the IIIT Hyderabad Alumni Awards 2026, recognising distinguished alumni for their professional achievements and contributions to the technology ecosystem.
The Alumni Achiever Awards 2026 were presented to:
- Karandeep Anand, B.Tech (Hons) CSE, 1999–2003, CEO, Character.ai 
- Pramod Nair, B.Tech (Hons) CSE, 2004–2008, Founder & CTO, LoadShare Networks 
- Siva Reddy Goli, DD CSE, 2005–2010, Principal Scientist, ServiceNow; Assistant Professor, McGill University; Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Mila 
Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director, IIIT Hyderabad, spoke about the Institute’s vision for the years ahead as it enters its 30th year, with a continued focus on research, talent and industry partnerships, particularly in AI and emerging technologies.
The 29th Foundation Day celebrated IIIT Hyderabad’s journey while setting the stage for the next phase of its growth and impact.