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.

 On MSME Day, as we reflect on the theme ‘The Future Generation of MSMEs’ with its focus on human centered entrepreneurship in an AI driven economy, we celebrate the backbone of India’s growth, enterprises that drive innovation, employment, and regional progress. MSMEs contribute nearly 30% to India’s GDP and support over 110 million livelihoods, making them central to the nation’s growth story.

Progressive government initiatives such as Udyam registration, enhanced credit access, and digital public infrastructure are accelerating the formalisation and resilience of this sector. However, rising risks including climate volatility and evolving supply chain disruptions underscore the need for stronger, future ready protection frameworks.

General Insurance must evolve into a proactive growth enabler for MSMEs, helping them scale with confidence in an increasingly uncertain world. It is no longer just about protection, but about anticipating risks, enabling faster recovery, and supporting sustainable growth.

At IndusInd General Insurance, we are committed to delivering simple, affordable, and customer centric solutions powered by technology and insight to support MSMEs at every stage of their journey. Strengthening MSMEs is not just an economic imperative, it is key to building a resilient, self-reliant, and future ready Bharat.

The IES initiative, which is envisioned as the unified, secure, and interoperable digital backbone for the entire energy value chain, is being advanced with REC Limited as the Nodal Agency and FSR Global as the Knowledge Partner.

The focus of today’s meeting was the collective review and strategic discussion on the two core foundational elements of the initiative: the draft IES Strategy Document (version 0.1) and the IES Architecture Document (version 0.1).

The Taskforce—comprising domain experts from technology, the power sector, and regulatory bodies—engaged in an in-depth roundtable discussion following the presentations of the documents. The objective of the dialogue was to capture high-level strategic guidance from all members.

The meeting was attended by Taskforce Chairman Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma (Former DG of UIDAI, Former CEO, National Health Authority (NHA)); Chief Architect Sh. Pramod Verma (Co-founder, FIDE; former Chief Architect, Aadhaar); Vice Chair Sh. Pradeep Kumar Pujari (Distinguished Fellow, FSR Global; Former Chairman CERC, Former Secretary Power); and members including Sh. Ghanshyam Prasad (Chairperson, CEA); Sh. Alok Kumar (DG, AIDA); Sh. Jitendra Srivastava (CMD, REC Limited); Sh. S. K. Soonee (Former CMD, Grid India); Sh. Vikram Gandotra (President Elect, IEEMA); Ms. Swetha Ravi Kumar (Executive Director, FSR Global); Sh. Sujith Nair (CEO, FIDE); Sh. Prince Dhawan (ED, REC Limited); Sh. Raveesh Gupta (MD, PVVNL); Sh. Debjani Ghosh (Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog); and Sh. Shashank Mishra (Joint Secretary (Distribution), MoP), among others.

Shri Jitendra Srivastava, CMD, REC Limited (Nodal Agency for IES), said, “Today’s meeting is a pivotal milestone in our shared national ambition to create a unified, open, and future-ready digital backbone for India’s entire energy sector. The IES Strategy and Architecture documents are vital frameworks that will be enriched by the collective wisdom and guidance of our esteemed Taskforce members. The inputs received will help consolidate the framework and shape the pathway toward refinement and the pilot phase.”

The India Energy Stack, defined as a DPI, aims to identify and connect stakeholders and assets, and facilitate open data exchange through uniform specifications and standards, thereby unlocking transparent, reliable, inclusive, efficient, and affordable energy access. By establishing common digital protocols, open APIs, and federated registries, IES will bridge existing silos, enable real-time data exchange, and foster innovation, ultimately unlocking operational efficiency for DISCOMs, accelerating the integration of renewable energy, supporting green energy markets, and delivering consumer-centric power services. The Members articulated that what Aadhaar did for identity and UPI achieved for digital payments, the IES will accomplish for the power sector.

The guidance and inputs received from the Taskforce members in this meeting will be instrumental in consolidating the foundational framework and shaping the subsequent steps, including the refinement of the documents and the commencement of the initiative’s pilot phase. The Taskforce meetings will now be held on a monthly basis to ensure timely progress and alignment of the project.

The India Energy Stack (IES) project is scheduled to be completed by July 2026.

IES to Enable Open, Integrated, Future-Ready Energy Systems

The Taskforce discussed how the IES will serve as a transformative DPI—similar to Aadhaar and UPI—by connecting stakeholders, enabling open data exchange, and breaking sectoral silos through common standards, open APIs, and federated registries. These capabilities are expected to enhance DISCOM efficiency, boost renewable integration, support green energy markets, and deliver consumer-centric services. Inputs from the meeting will guide document refinement and the launch of the pilot phase, with monthly Taskforce reviews planned. The IES project is targeted for completion by July 2026.

Shri Jitendra Srivastava said the meeting marks an important step toward building a unified, future-ready digital backbone for India’s energy sector. He added that the Taskforce’s guidance will strengthen the IES framework and guide its refinement and pilot phase.

In his address at the United Nations General Assembly’s Summit of the Future, he reiterated India’s readiness to share its digital public infrastructure for global good, stressing the need for balanced regulation to ensure the safe and responsible use of technology.

PM Modi also called for global digital governance that preserves sovereignty and integrity, highlighting that humanity’s strength lies in collective action, not conflict.

Addressing global security concerns, PM Modi pointed to terrorism, as well as emerging cyber, maritime, and space conflicts, as significant threats to peace. He urged for global efforts to match the scale of these challenges, while advocating for a human-centric approach to future discussions. The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of sustainable development, drawing from India’s success in lifting 250 million people out of poverty, and expressed India’s willingness to share its experiences with the Global South. Additionally, he called for reforms in multilateral institutions, lauding the African Union’s inclusion in the G20 as a step toward greater global inclusivity.

According to the July 2024 report from India’s G20 task force on Digital Public Infrastructure, India has achieved significant milestones in under a decade, including over 1.3 billion Aadhaar enrollments, 10 million daily e-KYC transactions, and 13 billion monthly UPI transactions. These Digital entablements have lifted millions out of poverty, providing new opportunities for education, health, and dignified livelihoods while granting bank account access to over 500 million individuals, including women and rural residents.

At the launch of the solution excellence centre, Davinder Sandhu, Chairman, said: “Under the vision laid out by Hon. PM for India’s leadership in creating global DPI stack, Primus Partners offers to support governments create order out of chaos, reduce leakages, enable real-time data-backed decision-making, and visualize scenarios better to pursue the cause of holistic socio-economic progress. The firm will continue in its endeavor to support governments in their progress during Amrit Kaal.”

Nilaya Varma, Co-Founder and CEO, added: “Through our new subsidiary, we aim to develop state-of-the-art technology solutions, including a citizen-led beneficiary welfare & service delivery platform, foster sustainable growth via SDG investments, and digitize urban/rural local body operations for last-mile governance.”

Sameer Jain, CEO of the new subsidiary, expressed optimism, saying: “Governments and businesses are enthusiastically adopting DPI to enhance public service delivery and boost productivity. With the Union Budget 2024 proposal to develop DPI applications at a population scale, the launch of Primus Partners Solutions is opportune. Our new services, ‘Digital in DNA,’ will augment Digital Bharat, leveraging our expertise in DPI projects and commitment to innovation and excellence.”

Primus Partners Solutions will be strongly supported by over 300 consultants, experts and advisors across sectors such as health, urban development, infrastructure, technology, aerospace, citizen services, and e-governance. Further, the firm plans to take its DPI solutions to Global South countries in Africa and the ASEAN region.