Prof. Sandeep K Shukla highlights key challenges for India’s DeepTech on National Engineers Day
While celebrating National Engineers’ Day, experts emphasise the need for collaboration, risk-taking, and ethical frameworks to build a sustainable and responsible DeepTech ecosystem for India’s future. From a decade when “everyone wanted to be an engineer” to what is now being hailed as India’s Techade, the journey of engineering as a profession has seen a remarkable transformation. Today, it’s just as likely to mean algorithms, data models, or neural networks. Prof Sandeep K. Shukla says: “The problem in India that the DeepTech startups are facing today is not so much on the funding side, but on the side of acceptance of their products by the government entities, PSUs, and larger corporations in general. While there are enough programs and schemes from the government to incubate, there are no concomitant changes in the policy or incentivization in accepting DeepTech products in place of well-established products.”
IIITH’s Social Tech Incubator launches cohort of GreenTech Startups with EPAM Systems: Leverages AI, IoT, Robotics and GIS
AIC-IIITH has launched the 3rd Akash EPAM Social Impact Innovation Program (ESIIP) to support GreenTech startups in areas like Green Energy, Smart Cities, Climate Tech, Sustainable Agriculture, and Mobility. The program also leverages IIITH’s strong research ecosystem to drive cutting-edge innovation in areas like AI/ML, Robotics, GIS etc to advance India’s UN SDG commitments with a focus on Climate Action (SDG 13). The program recognizes the importance of research-led tech and entrepreneurial innovation towards sustainable climate action. Startup-led innovation is a critical driver of climate action, especially in developing countries like India. Yet an analysis by Cambridge Associates shows that Emerging Market Greentech startups attract only 9% of total investment in the sector. As per AIC-IIITH’s research, a mere ~0.2% of total CSR spending has been spent on Innovation.
IIITH students triumph at ACM-ICPC World Finals
SubtasksWhere, IIIT Hyderabad’s winning team of competitive programmers climbed to 73rd world ranking in the ACM –ICPC World Finals, gaining a place on the Honors list , for solving 6 or more programming problems. It was a sweet sense of accomplishment for the IIIT Hyderabad coding team comprising of Shiven Sinha, Hari Aakash K and Sushil Raaja Umasudhan, at the recently concluded 2025 ICPC World Finals. Hosted by ADA University at Baku in Azerbaijan, the algorithmic programming competition challenges university students to grapple complex real-world problems within a tight timeframe. The global contest featuring 73,083 students from 103 countries, tested the creativity, teamwork and problem solving skills of 140 shortlisted teams from 3,424 universities. Held between August 31 and September 5, the ICPC venues included three iconic architectural wonders including the futuristically designed Heydar Aliyev Center by Ar. Zaha Hadid, the Baku Convention Center and the Baku Expo Center.
IDD: A Dataset That Is Driving India-Specific Solutions
From taking root as a foundational step towards autonomous driving research, the Indian Driving Dataset continues to evolve to tackle a plethora of problems that are India-specific. Two wheelers, 3-wheelers – both motorized and non-motorized, trucks, cars, pedestrians, animals and more make up the heterogeneity that is uniquely Indian. It is this unstructured feature of Indian traffic that prompted researchers at International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) to address research in autonomous navigation a little differently. They were quick to recognise that in the West, such technology catered to well-delineated roads, well-defined categories of vehicles, adherence to traffic rules and so on. “Most of the smart vehicles are designed for Western roads. They are tested, calibrated and verified on Western roads. We knew our roads are different but how different? We wanted to capture those differences objectively and decided to begin with the creation of a dataset,” explains Prof. C V Jawahar of the beginnings of the Indian Driving Dataset.
IIIT Hyderabad launches Online MSc in Data Science
The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H) introduces its first fully online degree program, a UGC-approved Master of Science in Data Science (MSc. DS), through its Division of Flexible Learning (DFL). Designed for working professionals, the two-year program offers flexibility, allowing up to four years for completion, with classes starting November 1, 2025. Applications are open until October 12, 2025, via the course website: https://dfl.iiit.ac.in/programs/degree/msc/ds. The program eliminates entrance exams, broadening access for diverse learners. Its curriculum blends theoretical foundations with practical applications, preparing graduates for high-demand data science roles. The online format ensures accessibility without disrupting careers, catering to learners globally. Prof. Venkatesh Choppella, Associate Dean of DFL, emphasized, “This program addresses the need for high-quality, accessible data science education, equipping learners with skills for a fast-growing sector without location or scheduling barriers.”
Adi Vaani, an AI-powered translator for tribal languages
With the launch of Adi Vaani, an AI-powered translator, IIITH is part of the government’s efforts at bridging the communication gap between tribal and non-tribal communities while safeguarding endangered languages. As part of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh’ – a year-long celebration of tribal pride, legacy and empowerment coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched an AI-powered translator for tribal languages. Titled Adi Vaani, the platform in its beta version supports Santali, Bhili, Mundari, and Gondi languages. The next phase of the project aims to include more languages like Kui and Garo. The app which is available on Play Store as well as a dedicated web platform has been developed by a consortium of premier institutions led by IIT Delhi and comprising of IIITH, BITS Pilani, and IIIT Nava Raipur in in collaboration with the TRIs in Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, and Meghalaya. LTRC@IIITH, has been involved with the project since July 2024.
IIIT Hyderabad celebrates 28th Foundation Day with a special focus on Cybersecurity
The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) celebrated its 28th Foundation Day on 2 September 2025, reinforcing its legacy of academic excellence and research leadership with a special focus on Cybersecurity. The celebrations were graced by Dr. Jitender, DGP, Telangana, as the Chief Guest, and Ms. Shikha Goel, IPS, TGCSB, as the Guest of Honour. Together, they inaugurated IIITH’s new Cyber MANTHAN (Cybersecurity Management and Next-Gen Technology Advancement Network) Center and TGCSB’s Vyuha Labs – a Cyber Innovation Lab. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitender highlighted the critical need for collaboration between academia, law enforcement, and industry to tackle cybercrime: “IIITH is one of India’s most prestigious institutions — a dream destination for bright students. The institute has established a strong reputation for its academics and research in a relatively short span of time. I wish it the best for the future”.
Prof. Vasudeva Varma’s views on Why digital sovereignty should be India’s next big battle
Vasudeva Varma, professor at International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, suggests India can consider empanelled clouds for sensitive workloads or can adopt a dual-vendor model that include local companies (ESDS, Yotta, Pi Datacenters) and global CSPs. Organizations can also use open-source building blocks to assemble their own tech stack. “But the practicality, economics, and go-to-market aspects of such solutions often become roadblocks. Typical challenges include data and identity portability, network and egress costs, application rewrites or refactoring, and ensuring feature parity and operational maturity,” said Varma. The cost of hardware and software aren’t the only factors that make this migration difficult. Varma points out that the “biggest cost is on people and process” as it requires retraining IT admins, rewriting support runbooks, compliance re-audits (ISO/PCI/DPDP), and contract renegotiations with all vendors and partners.
IIITH hosts ABDM 2.0 Southern Region Consultation Meeting Organized by NHA
IIITH along with the Telangana state Research Collaboration network organized a full day consultation workshop on ABDM 2.0, for the National Health Authority on 29 August. The theme for the consultation workshop – Strengthening Data Standards and Interoperability for Public and Private Healthcare: Tackling Adoption Barriers and Enabling India’s AI Health Future”. Thought leaders and researchers from RICH, IIITH, ISB, BITS-Pilani Hyderabad, IITH, NIT Warangal & NALSAR are part of the Research Collaboration network. The workshop included a presentation by Mr. Vikram Pagaria, Director of NHA on the background, conception, technology, adoption, initiatives and accomplishments of ABDM 1.0 and goals for ABDM 2.0. Prof. Sandeep K Shukla, Director of IIITH, addressed the gathering and emphasized the resolve of IIITH to be at the forefront of digital innovation in healthcare and listed the institute’s efforts & work relating to the space.
Prof. Sandeep K Shukla’s views and vision on India’s Education Legacy in the AI Era
As India accelerates toward digital sovereignty and global leadership in AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, and next-gen technologies, the role of academia in driving deep-tech innovation has never been more critical. IIIT Hyderabad, long regarded as one of the pioneers of interdisciplinary research, continues to stand at the forefront of this transformation. In this conversation, Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, who joined IIITH on August 20 as the Director, shares his early impressions, insights on the institute’s unique research ecosystem, and his vision for shaping engineering education to meet the demands of the AI era. Interdisciplinarity is deeply embedded in IIITH’s DNA, thanks to its unique structure of research centers rather than traditional departments. These span Computational Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Robotics, Computer Vision, Language Technologies, and Quantum Sciences, creating a natural environment for cross-center collaboration.