IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA) will host the seventh edition of its annual conference, Sangam 2026, on September 26 at Taj MG Road, Bengaluru. The conference will focus on “Atmanirbhar Bharat – Building a Self-Reliant India” and bring together policymakers, industry leaders, technology experts, entrepreneurs, academics and IIT Madras alumni. The event will examine opportunities and challenges linked to India’s drive towards greater self-reliance, with discussions covering key sectors such as artificial intelligence, space technology, defence, digital payments, semiconductors and infrastructure.
The conference will feature senior government representatives including Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs; Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Education; General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of Defence Staff; Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, Indian Navy; andSKrishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The speaker line-up will also include Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder, Infosys and Chairman, Axilor Ventures; Giridhar Aramane, IAS; Sunil Paliwal, IAS; Ashwini Bhide, IAS; Nandini Jayamurugun, Vice Chairperson, SNJ Group of Companies; Air Marshal Vijay Kumar Garg; Dr AP Dash, HEMRL, DRDO; and Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, former Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Other speakers include representatives from GMR Group, The ePlane Company, Tata Advanced Systems, Sarvam AI, Skyroot Aerospace, Flipkart and GalaxEye, along with faculty members from IIT Madras and other leading institutions.
Sridhar Boovaraghavan, President, IIT Madras Alumni Association and Chair, IITMAA Sangam 2026, said: “Sangam 2026 brings together the diverse strengths of the IIT Madras community and connects them with national priorities that will shape India’s future. Through discussions on technology, defence, space, digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship and education, we aim to create opportunities for collaboration. We are also working to expand our alumni mentorship programme so that every student on campus can eventually have access to an alumni mentor for academic, professional and personal guidance.”
A major focus of Sangam 2026 will be the expansion of IITMAA’s alumni-student mentoring programme. Building on the Career and Life Coaching (CLIC) initiative, IITMAA plans to extend mentorship opportunities across the IIT Madras campus. The long-term objective is to connect every current IIT Madras student with an experienced alumnus or alumna. The programme is intended to create a continued link between students and the institute’s alumni network, supporting students in their academic, professional and personal development.
Sangam 2026 will feature keynote addresses, sector-focused panels and fireside discussions with experts from organisations including Reliance Intelligence, Flipkart, Sarvam AI, Skyroot Aerospace, NVIDIA, Texas Instruments and Tata Electronics. The programme will include a session on “Sovereign AI – Now or Never?”, along with discussions on maritime trade, digital payments, semiconductors and future warfare capabilities. A fireside conversation with Kris Gopalakrishnan will also be part of the programme, followed by a defence keynote by General NS Raja Subramani.
Sangam 2026 is supported by industry partners including U-SOLAR and IndiaAssetz. U-SOLAR, founded by IIT Madras alumni, works in clean energy and sustainable technology, while IndiaAssetz focuses on real estate and wealth asset management. Other sponsors and supporting organisations include SNJ Group, ARCA Alternatives, Prestige, Zooper, Pratithi Investments and Alumni and Corporate Relations IIT Madras. Additional backing and operational support is being provided by Unicorn India Ventures, Shivom Enterprises and Mutual PR Consultants Pvt Ltd.
The conference will conclude with a felicitation ceremony, followed by a Guitar Prasanna concert and dinner. The event will bring together IIT Madras alumni, students, industry representatives, academics and other members of the wider community for discussions and networking around technology, innovation and India’s development.
