Honorary Doctorate conferred on grassroots innovator Padma Shri Chintakindi Mallesham; industry leaders across sustainability, technology and manufacturing grace the ceremony

Hyderabad, July 4, 2026 — Anurag University celebrated its 3^rd Annual Convocation today, conferring degrees on 2,789 graduates across its schools of engineering, pharmacy, management, sciences and agriculture. The ceremony brought together graduating students, their families, faculty and a distinguished gathering of industry leaders to mark a defining milestone in the students’ academic journey.

The graduating class of 2,789 included 2,193 students from the Bachelor of Technology programme and 44 scholars who were awarded the Doctor of Philosophy. Degrees were also conferred across the Master of Business Administration (155), Master of Computer Applications (90), Bachelor of Pharmacy (88), Bachelor of Business Administration (74), and a range of postgraduate and doctoral programmes in pharmacy, technology, agriculture and management.

The University conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Padma Shri Chintakindi Mallesham, the renowned grassroots innovator whose weaving innovation — born out of personal sacrifice and hardship has transformed the lives of countless weavers and workers in the handloom industry. In recognizing him, the University celebrated a spirit of innovation rooted in empathy, perseverance and service to society.

Addressing the Class of 2026, Dr.Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Chairman, Anurag University and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Janagama Constituency  congratulated graduates and emphasized that AI will not take jobs, but those skilled in AI tools will lead the future. He highlighted Anurag’s pioneering role as the first in Telangana to launch B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence (AI) eight years ago, and reaffirmed the University’s commitment to integrating AI across students, curriculum, faculty, and campus. Applauding faculty for Outcome Based Education and parents for their trust, he urged graduates to “Build for the nation, stay rooted and hungry, and define success widely.” The Chairman closed by reminding alumni that excellence is a habit, calling on them to make Telangana and India proud.

The convocation was graced by Chief Guest Mr. Goutham Reddy, Chairman, CII and Executive Director of Re Sustainability Ltd., who addressed the graduating class. Speaking on the relevance of the true engineering spirit in today’s world, Mr. Reddy observed that as Artificial Intelligence disrupts more and more industries, the enduring engineering mindset — the ability to solve real problems with rigour, curiosity and purpose — matters more than ever. He urged graduates to treat AI not as a threat but as a tool, and to anchor their careers in the timeless values of first-principles thinking and continuous learning.

In his address, the Chancellor of Anurag University, Dr. UB Desai, congratulated the graduating class and their families, and reflected on the University’s mission to nurture engineers and professionals who combine technical excellence with responsibility to society. He echoed that the true spirit of engineering — solving problems that matter — remains as relevant as ever in an age being reshaped by AI and encouraged the graduates to carry the values of integrity and innovation into their professional lives.

The ceremony was further distinguished by the presence of senior leaders from across industry who joined as Guests of Honour, including representatives from Mahindra & Mahindra, Dhruva Space, Qualcomm, Cellerite Systems, Aarvee, Deloitte, PwC, PepsiCo, LTIMindtree, Siemens and Karvy Fintech. Their participation underscored the University’s deep and growing engagement with industry and its commitment to preparing graduates for a rapidly evolving workplace.

All the Deans, Heads of the Departments, Directors, Controller of Examinations, Faculty and non-teaching staff were also present on this occasion.

Congratulating the graduates, the University wished them success in their future endeavours and encouraged them to remain lifelong learners and responsible contributors to their communities and to the nation.

Bangalore, July 05, 2026: The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) hosted its 26th annual convocation today. The ceremony was graced by Chief Guest, Professor Rajat Moona, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar; Guest of Honour, Dr.V Veerappan, Cofounder and President, Tessolve Semiconductor & Chairman ELCITA. The ceremony was presided over by the IIIT-Bangalore Governing Body Chairman, Padma Bhushan Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan in the presence of Dr. Debabrata Das, Director of IIIT-Bangalore.

The ceremony that took place on the serene campus of IIIT-Bangalore saw 316 students graduate from the institute. The students were from various academic programs: 95 graduates from the Integrated Master of Technology, 175 from the Master of Technology, 32 from the Master of Science by Research, and 14 PhD scholars.

This year, one of the students’ from Integrated M.Tech. program has secured a record package of 1.5 crore, with two students securing packages of ₹1.3 crore. Over 22 students have secured annual salary packages exceeding 60 lakhs, 27 students have received packages between 40-60 lakhs, and over 110 students have been offered packages above 20 lakhs per annum. These impressive figures highlight IIIT-B’s commitment to excellence in teaching and research by hard work of students and the high regard in which our graduates are held by top employers.

The Convocation also marked two significant milestones in the Institute’s journey. IIIT-Bangalore celebrated the graduation of its 100th PhD scholar in Computer Science and Engineering, Dr. Vikas, a neurosurgeon from NIMHANS whose work exemplifies the transformative power of interdisciplinary research and underscores the profound convergence of medicine and deep technology. The Institute also crossed the landmark figure of 5,000+ alumni, further strengthening its global community of innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.

Congratulating the students on their graduation, Dr. Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT-Bangalore, said, “The graduating Class of 2026 has demonstrated exceptional talent, resilience, and a spirit of innovation across academics, research, entrepreneurship, sports, and the arts. Our students have excelled in prestigious national and international competitions, secured top honours in hackathons and programming contests, published impactful research, and contributed to cutting-edge innovations in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Digital Public Infrastructure, Communication, Semiconductor Design, Healthcare Technologies, and Software Systems etc. As our graduates embark on their next journey, I encourage them to remain curious, embrace lifelong learning, and use technology with purpose and responsibility. The theme of this year’s Convocation, ‘Wings of Excellence,’ reflects our belief that true excellence lies not only in professional success but also in creating a positive impact on society. I am confident that our graduates will continue to make their alma mater and the nation proud.”

The highlights of the ceremony included recognizing outstanding student achievements through a series of prestigious awards and medals. The Institute Gold Medal for M.Tech. was awarded to Singuru Manognya, while Subhajeet Lahiri received the Institute Gold Medal for Integrated M.Tech. The Sir M. Visvesvaraya Scholarship Awards were conferred on Subhajeet Lahiri and Ketaki Srikrishna Tamhanakar. The Mrs Uma & Late Prof. Mahabala Medals for Best Outgoing M.Tech. Students were awarded to Shubh Sanjaykumar Patel and Singuru Manognya. Siddharth Kothari received the Sitaram Jindal Gold Medal and was also honoured with the Late Sri N. Rama Rao Medal for Best Outgoing Student (Male), while Yukta Arvind Rajapur received the corresponding medal for Best Outgoing Student (Female). The Ravi Ravindran Gold Medal for the Best PhD Thesis was awarded to Tushar Vrind. The Institute Medals for contributions to community and professional life were conferred on Sankalp Kothari and Daksh Sharma, respectively. The Late Sri N. Rama Rao Medal for Entrepreneur of the Year was awarded to Anshu Jain, an alumnus of the M.Tech. 2003–05 batch.

IIIT-Bangalore has started India’s first Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Division in academia. IIIT-B’s DPI and R&D products are being used in over 40 countries and serving 200 million citizens. Tele-MANAS, the national tele-mental health platform developed by IIIT-B, has crossed 40 lakh calls.

Since its establishment in 1998, IIIT-Bangalore has consistently achieved outstanding placement results, year after year. This success is largely due to the support from the industry and the ever-growing network of talented and accomplished alumni.