Sharda University Launches ‘Open Source NCR (ONC)’ Community to Bridge Academia and Industry

Greater Noida, November 12, 2025: Sharda University successfully hosted the grand launch of the Open Source NCR (ONC) Community, an initiative aimed at “Shaping the Future of Academia and Industry with Open Source Practices.” The event brought together top leaders from academia and industry to foster collaboration, innovation, and skill development among students and professionals.
The ceremony was graced by P.K. Gupta, Chancellor, Sharda University; Y.K. Gupta, Pro-Chancellor; Prof. (Dr.) Sibaram Khara, Vice Chancellor; Prof. (Dr.) Parma Nand, Pro-Vice Chancellor; Prof. (Dr.) Geeta Ganeshan, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology; Dr. Sudeep Varshney, Head, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; and Dr. Rajneesh Kumar Singh, Head, Department of Computer Science and Applications.
The event witnessed the presence of distinguished guests from industry, including Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI and Chairman, STPI NEXT, MeitY, Government of India, who attended as the Chief Guest. The Guests of Honour included Dhiraj Gyani (COO, IndiaTech.org), Joy George (VP, International HR, OpenGov Inc.), Maruti Venkata (Associate Director, D.E. Shaw India), Hari Ramasubramanian (Leader – Business Development, IBM), Poornima Srinivasan (Vice President HR, TestVagrant), and Prasad Oruganti (Associate Vice President, Ascendion).
The ceremony commenced with the official opening of the Delhi-NCR Chapter of the Open Source Community by Prof. (Dr.) Parma Nand, who emphasized the importance of experiential learning and encouraged students to actively contribute to open-source projects in emerging domains such as Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity.
The ONC Community was formally inaugurated by Arvind Kumar, who highlighted the transformative potential of open-source practices in empowering the youth and accelerating India’s digital innovation.
“Open source is not just about technology—it’s about collaboration, creativity, and inclusive growth. Initiatives like ONC will help students become global contributors to innovation,” he said.
A major highlight of the event was the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Sharda University and IndiaTech.org, marking a strategic partnership to bridge the gap between academia and industry. The collaboration aims to promote hands-on learning, mentorship, and networking opportunities for students through workshops, hackathons, internships, and certification programs.
The event also featured a live demonstration of the ONC website, outlining upcoming initiatives, and a panel discussion involving industry experts, Dr. Ankit Khare and Dr. Geeta Ganeshan, who discussed the evolving role of open-source collaboration in reshaping education and professional development.
The launch ceremony concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. Rajneesh Kumar Singh, who expressed heartfelt appreciation to the university leadership, faculty, industry partners, and students for their contributions in making the event a resounding success.
The faculty coordinators for the event were Dr. Ankit Khare, Dr. Pushpendra Kumar Rajput, Amit Kumar Upadhyay, Dr. Anurag Rai, and Khushwant Virdi.
The launch of the Open Source NCR (ONC) Community marks a significant step in Sharda University’s ongoing commitment to innovation, industry collaboration, and academic excellence, empowering students to become future-ready leaders in the digital era.