About IANC
The SMEC Industry Academia Networking Conclave 2026 (IANC 2026) is a premier platform connecting industry leaders, researchers, professors, startups and future engineers to co-create solutions for real-world challenges. With a vision to elevate India's global engineering presence, the conclave brings together academia and industry to drive innovation in advanced manufacturing, digital engineering sustainable technologies and industrydriven innovation. Aligned with the visions of Make in India, Digital India, Industry 5.0 and Sustainable Engineering, the conclave promotes strong partnerships that translate ideas into impactful technologies. The 6 Edition of SMEC Industry-Academia Networking Conclave 2026 brings together industry leaders, researchers and students on a common platform to discuss key industrial challenges and build meaningful collaborations. For the first time, the Industry Academia Networking Conclave (IANC 2026) is being organized in Pune, bringing academia closer to the heart of industry truly taking innovation to the industries' doorstep, the conclave promotes knowledge exchange and industry- academia partnerships. th The event showcases the institute's expertise and facilities while helping students understand industry expectations and emerging opportunities. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, IANC 2026 aims to drive research partnerships, technology development and long-term industry academia engagement.
This time IANC 2026 follows a two-phase engagement model:
Phase I: 24 March 2026 - On-campus engagement at VIT, Vellore
Phase II: 16 April 2026 Industry Engagement at Pune
About SMEC
Established in 1984, the School of Mechanical Engineering at VIT Vellore is one of the institute's leading schools, known for strong industry engagement, research excellence, and future-focused education. Offering a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs, the school is committed to developing industry ready engineers and innovators. Ranked among the Top 8-10 in India and 201-250 globally in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025), it continues to make a strong global impact in engineering education and research.
The school maintains active collaborations with leading industries and academic institutions, enabling joint research, consultancy, sponsored projects, and internships that bridge academia and industry. Dedicated Centres of Excellence and strong industry inputs ensure curriculum relevance and real-world exposure.
Equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and high-end testing facilities, the school supports advanced research, product testing, material characterization, simulationdriven design and rapid prototyping. The school's research excellence has earned significant recognition and funding from national and international agencies, including multiple DST-FIST grants (2003, 2010, 2022) and the prestigious PURSE scheme (2021). With a strong commitment to innovation, collaboration and engineering excellence, the School of Mechanical Engineering serves as a trusted partner for industries seeking advanced research solutions, consultancy support, skilled talent and cutting-edge technological capabilities.
About the Career Development Centre
The Career Development Centre (CDC) plays a pivotal role in shaping VIT's outstanding placement legacy by serving as a dynamic bridge between students and industry. It ensures the seamless execution of campus recruitment while equipping students with industry relevant skills through focused training, career guidance and professional development initiatives. The CDC actively collaborates with leading national and global organizations to secure quality placements, meaningful internships and real world exposure for students. The Centre is committed to promoting a culture of lifelong learning and helping students acquire the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly changing job market.
Chief Guest
Shri. Ramesh Venugopalsamy
Head Skilling - CSR
Bajaj Auto Limited, Pune
Guest of Honour
Shri. Sunil Modi
Senior Vice President & Director Vanderlande Industries Pvt Ltd a Toyota Automated Logistics Company, Pune
Industry Delegates
Shri. Yogesh Umbarkar
Co-founder
Tech4earth Mobility
Shri. Amol Nikam
Vice President-technolgy
Synergen Green Energy
Shri. Sunil B Sadigale
Head R&d
Cooper Corporation Satara
Shri. Ramnik Singh
Director, India & Japan
GammaTechnologies
Shri .Anant Karegaonkar
Technical Specialist
Forbes Marshall
Shri. Rakesh V. Mulik
General Manager
The Automotive Research Association of India
Shri. Monal Parikh
AGM - Business Development
Sopan O&M Co Pvt Ltd
Shri. Niranjan Arun Upadhye
Chief Procurement Officer
Fluid Controls Ltd. Pune
Shri. Radhakrishnan
MANAGER (Research & Advanced Engineering) Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India Private Limited
Shri. Dharani Madala
Director
Analyzer CAE Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Shri. Ramkumar R
Senior General Manager
ARAI
Shri. Rajesh Kumathekar
President
Ithrive Nature Pvt Ltd
Shri. Shashank Misra
CEO & Founder
Ekak Innovations
Shri. Chaitanya Wagh
Asst. General Manager, Vehicle Regulatory Compliance and Homologation Stellantis
Shri. Amey Majgaonkar
DGM Engineering NPD
Kirloskar Chillers Pvt Ltd
Shri. Venkatasubramanian Venugopal
Dgm - Product Development
Mahindra Construction Equipment
Shri. Ajinkya Mane
Deputy General Manager
ZF India
Dr. Dadasaheb J. Shendage
Associate Director – Technology, H2e Power Systems Pvt. Ltd.
Shri. Aurobbindo Lingegowda
Tech Expert System Simulation
Bosch Global Software Tech Pvt Ltd
Shri. Abhijit Kalbhairav
Director-India and South East Asia Klingelnberg
Shri. Thalavai Venkatesan
Director – Accelera Cummins
Shri. Kedar D. Gokhale
Dy. V. P. & Global Head - Powertrain Coe Tata Technologies Ltd.
Shri. Umesh Kalokhe
Vice President - Product Development Tata Autocomp Systems Ltd
Shri. Julius Ratnaprakash Suryawanshi
Properitor
Akrivia Technologies
Shri. Ashish Pendse
Director Of Global Business
SSP Fittings Corp Aka SSP
Shri. Sameer Badve
CEO
A B Process Technologies
Shri. Snehal Tated
Manager
Uno Minda
Shri. Kedar Kanase
Head Engineering and Technology
Greaves Electric Mobility
Shri. Rakesh Nagrani
Head Of Department and Chief Engineer
Magna Vehicle Engineering
Shri. Dinesh Kumar Selvam
Deputy Manager Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India
Shri. Chandrakant Dilip Desai
Regional Manager Kistler Instruments India Private Limited
Shri. Gopal Vaidyanathan
Chief Executive Officer
Onyx Robotic and Automation Pvt. Ltd.
Shri. Shripad Kale
Head of System Engineering Onyx Robotic and Automation Pvt Ltd
Shri. Tejas Kshatriya
Vice President - Alternate Fuels and Electric Propulsion Systems KPIT Technologies
Shri. Suhas Pradip Hingane
Business Associate Urja Biosystem Pvt Ltd.
Dr. Yogesh Aghav
VP & Head Advanced Technologies & Research Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited
Shri. Bushan Udar
Sr. Manager- Marketing
Fleetguard Filtrum
Shri.Vamshi Gaddam
Business Head
Circular Technologies
Shri. R S Jha
Head of Innovation
Thermax Ltd
Shri. Annasaheb Gajare
Chief Manager , Global Sourcing
Praj Industries Limited
Shri. Ghananeel Kelkar
Chief Human Resources Officer
Walchandnagar Industries
Shri. Jay Malaney
Partner
PTP Industries LLP
IANC 2026 Thematic Areas
Industry 5.0 & Human-Centric Manufacturing
AI, Digital Twins & Smart Mechanical Systems
Green Hydrogen & Sustainable Energy Technologies
Additive & Hybrid Advanced Manufacturing
Intelligent Automation & Robotics
Smart Mobility
Advanced & Next-Generation Materials
Sponsors
Participating Organization
Events
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MOU Signing
-
Panel Discussion
Shri. Linda.C.Sorto
Director, Boeing Engineering
Germany & Boeing Engineering,
Turkiye
Shri. Maya Ramachandran
Managing Director
Genlite Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Chennai
Shri Anitha M
General Manager, Rane (Madras) Ltd., Chennai
Shri. Subathra
Sr. Manager
Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre
Shri. Ami Sampat
Product Design Leader – Agentic
Tooling and Quality | B2B Saas
Enterprise Experiences, VIT Alumni
PANEL - 01 - Topic: From Innovation to Impact: Mechanical Engineering for Sustainable Future
Panel Discussion Members
Dr. Sagarkumar M. Agravat
Head – R&D,
L&T Construction
Anant Karegaonkar
Technical Specialist,
Forbes Marshall
Dr. Thangasivam Gandhi
Senior Manager – Innovation
Danfoss
Mr. Venkataramani Ramachandran,
Principal Systems Engineer,
Honeywell Aerospace
Dr. Kartik Kumar,
Centre Director – R&D,
Saint-Gobain
Dr. Uttam Kumar Sen
Co-Founder & CTO
e-TRNL Energy
Mr. Veerendra Vasamsetty
Director – R&D,
Schneider Electric
PANEL - 02 - Topic: Engineering the Future: Emerging Skills, and Global Opportunities in Mechanical Engineering
Panel Discussion Members
Mr Saravanan Jeyaraj
Senior Manager – Operational Excellence,
Collins Aerospace
Mr Karthikeyan Varadarajan
Senior VP-Technical
EDS Technologies
Dr. Ragothaman Arjunan
Assistant General Manager
Volvo Group India
Dr. Tarani Murugesan
Co-founder & Director
ST Advanced Composites Pvt. Ltd.
Mr. Magesh D
Manager – R&D
Schwing Stetter India Pvt. Ltd.
Dr. N. Saravanan
Principal Engineer
Mahindra & Mahindra
PANEL - 03 - Topic: Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace: Challenges and Opportunities in Adoption, Certification, and Scaling
Panel Discussion Members
UMA Maheshwar D
Chief Consulting Engineer
GE Aerospace
Gracio Lobo
Materials & Process Engineer
Manufacturing Technology Integration,
Boeing
Prasath Babu Kuppa
Director – Operations & Supply Chain,
Collins Aerospace
Mr. Anandh Pujari
Manager – Account Management
Autodesk
Mr. Krishna Prasad
Project Director
Aeronautical Development Agency(ADA)
Mr. Perumal Rakkiyagounder
Honeywell Aerospace
PANEL - 04 - Topic:Inside Engineering Systems: What Industry Really Demands
Panel Discussion Members
Dr. C. S. Nanda Kumar
Senior Technical Lead
Bosch Global Software Technologies
Mr. Sankar
Head – Advanced Materials Technology,
Caterpillar
Mr. Prakash V S,
R&D Manager,
Honeywell Aerospace India
Dr. T. Sukumar
Deputy General Manager
ZF (CVCS)
Dr. Nithin Devaraj
Managing Partner
SAA Enterprises
Mr. Ravi Siddharth L
Deputy Manager
Schwing Stetter India
Plenary Sessions
Glimpses of Pre-Conclave IANC 2026
The VIT Vellore School of Mechanical Engineering (SMEC) successfully hosted the Pre-Conclave Event for the Industry Academia Networking Conclave (IANC)-2026, centered on the powerful theme “Women Leaders in Core Mechanical Engineering.” The event celebrated the growing influence of women shaping the future of core engineering industries and strengthening collaboration between academia and global industry leaders.
Glimpses of Phase1 IANC 2026
The School of Mechanical Engineering, in association with the Career Development Centre (CDC), successfully hosted the 6th Industry Academia Networking Conclave 2026 (IANC 2026) on 24 March 2026, reaffirming its commitment to fostering strong industry–academia partnerships. The conclave brought together 45 distinguished industry leaders from 32 organizations, facilitating meaningful dialogue through panel discussions and keynote sessions in advanced manufacturing, energy, automotive, and aerospace domains. The event led to the signing of one MoU and the introduction of seven industry-sponsored problem statements offering internship opportunities along with a total of ₹1.85 lakhs in cash prizes. A dynamic student showcase featured 18 team expos, including participation from VAIAL, alongside six innovation stalls and 28 poster presentations. Notably, six students secured internship offers during the event. A live demonstration of PIV-integrated LTTD technology further highlighted the institute’s focus on cutting-edge research and innovation. The conclave served as a vibrant outreach platform, strengthening collaborative networks and creating impactful opportunities for student learning, innovation, and industry engagement.
Design-A-Thon - Honeywell
Category Cash Prize First Prize 75,000/- INR per team Second Prize 50,000/- INR per team Third Prize 40,000/- INR per team Fourth Prize 35,000/- INR per team Fifth Prize 25,000/- INR per team Target Participants: VIT Students of any branch
Registration Link
Payment Link
☛ Registration amount Rs. 200 per person including GST.
☛ Last date for Registration is 30th March, 2026
☛ Briefing Session is on 31th March, 2026
☛ Final Submission is on 09th April, 2026
Instruction:
☛ Participants are encouraged to work in teams. A team size of 2–4 members is recommended.
☛ An indicative team composition is provided in the registration link.
☛ The Team Leader must complete the initial registration through the payment link available on the IANC website.
☛ Team members may complete the payment collectively using the same payment link on the IANC website.
☛ Upon successful payment, a confirmation message along with an auto-generated payment receipt reference number will be shared.
☛ Details regarding the schedule and venue of the briefing session will be communicated by the respective faculty coordinators by the forenoon (FN) of 30th March to all registered participants.
☛ After registration, each team will meet their assigned faculty mentor for further guidance. Mentor details are provided in the registration form.
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr.Bibin John
Contact No: +91 9092512690
Design-A-Thon - Forbes Marshall
Prize Money : Worth Rs 1,00,000 First Prize : Rs. 75,000/- Second Prize : Rs. 25,000/- Target Participants: UG Students & PG Students of all schools
Problem Statement - Download
Payment Link
☛ Registration amount Rs. 200 per person including GST.
Last date for Registration is 30th March, 2026
Date of the event 30th March, 2026
Guidelines:
☛ This challenge can be taken up by students in a group with a maximum of 1-4 participants.
☛ Faculty mentor is optional for each and every team.
☛ The method of evaluation and the criteria for determining winning and runner-up teams will be solely at the discretion of the panel of judges from Forbes Marshall.
☛ The details provided here are proprietary to Forbes Marshall Pvt. Ltd. They are solely intended for this competition where the participants can be students only.
Instruction:
☛ Working in teams is applicable in all the challenges. A team of 1-4 people would be preferable.
☛ Multiple teams can work on the same problem
☛ The students have to first do the registration through the payment link available at the IANC website.
☛ Team members can do the payment both individually or as a team through the payment link available at IANC website.
☛ Once the payment is processed successfully, you will receive a confirmation message with an auto generated payment receipt reference number.
☛ Payment receipt and Declaration forms fully signed by Team Members and Mentors has to uploaded
☛ Each team member has to upload his/her payment receipt individually in this form.
☛ Each member can have the access to edit the response after the submission of the form (if required).
☛ Every member of the team should give the same team name.
☛ The teams are advisable to look at the problem statement available at the IANC website.
Event details:
Date: 30 March 2026
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr.Jeyapandiarajan P
Contact No: +91 8870756512
Hack-A-Thon - Trane Technologies
Prize Money Will be updated soon
Guidelines:
☛ This challenge can be taken up by students in a group with a maximum of 3 participants.
☛ Faculty mentor is optional for each and every team.
☛ Initial screening and shortlisting of teams: During the Technical Challenges Event
☛ Multiple teams can work on the same problem
☛ The mentors from Trane Technologies will be identified based on the number of teams for review
☛ Intermediate review can happen 2 times based on the team's request
☛ Any software or open sources can be used, but need to be referenced/acknowledged
☛ Complete solution along with the journey needs to be presented
Event details:
Date: 16 March 2026
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr. G Praveen Kumar
Contact No: +91 9445838492
Dr. Jeyapandiarajan P
Contact No: +91 8870756512
Hack-A-Thon - Big Bang Boom Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Category Cash Prize First Prize Internship / Placement Offers Target Participants : VIT Students of any branch
Registration Open
Payment Link
Registration amount Rs. 100 per person including GST.
Last date for Registration is 23rd March, 2026
Date of the event 30th and 31st March, 2026
Guidelines:
☛ This challenge can be taken up by students in a group with a maximum of 1 participants.
☛ Problem statement will be circulated through mail on 16th Mar 2026.
☛ Interested students can register by 23rd of March using registration link provided.
☛ An online meeting will be conducted with experts of Big Bang Boom Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to discuss about problem statements and expected outcomes.
☛ Evaluation of Hack-A-Thon is on 30th and 31st of March 2026.
Instruction:
☛ Working in teams is applicable in all the challenges. A team of 1 people would be preferable.
☛ Multiple teams can work on the same problem
☛ The students have to first do the registration through IANC website.
Event details:
Date: 30th and 31st March 2026
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr. Manikandan Manoharan
Contact No: +91 9080844882
Idea-A-Thon - Blue Star
Category Cash Prize First Prize Internship Offers
Guidelines:
☛ This challenge can be taken up by students in a group with a maximum of 1 participants.
☛ Faculty mentor is optional for each and every team.
☛ The method of evaluation and the criteria for determining winning and runner-up teams will be solely at the discretion of the panel of judges from Blue Star.
☛ The details provided here are proprietary to Blue Star. They are solely intended for this competition where the participants can be students only.
Instruction:
☛ Working in teams is applicable in all the challenges. A team of 1 people would be preferable.
☛ Multiple teams can work on the same problem
☛ The students have to first do the registration through IANC website.
Event details:
Date: 23 March 2026
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr. G Praveen Kumar
Contact No: +91 9445838492
Dr. Jeyapandiarajan P
Contact No: +91 8870756512
Idea-A-Thon - Danfoss
Category Cash Prize First Prize Internship Offers
Guidelines:
☛ This challenge can be taken up by students in a group with a maximum of 2 participants.
☛ Faculty mentor is optional for each and every team.
☛ The method of evaluation and the criteria for determining winning and runner-up teams will be solely at the discretion of the panel of judges from Danfoss.
☛ The details provided here are proprietary to Danfoss. They are solely intended for this competition where the participants can be students only.
Instruction:
☛ Working in teams is applicable in all the challenges. A team of 2 people would be preferable.
☛ Multiple teams can work on the same problem
☛ The students have to first do the registration through IANC website.
Event details:
Date: 23 March 2026
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr. G Praveen Kumar
Contact No: +91 9445838492
Dr. Jeyapandiarajan P
Contact No: +91 8870756512
Design-A-Thon - Autodesk
Category Cash Prize Prize Pool 35,000/- INR
Title: Autodesk Fusion CAD CAM Simulation challenge
Target Participants : VIT Students of any branch
Payment Link
Registration amount Rs. 100 per person including GST.
Last date for Registration is 12th March, 2026
Date of the event 12th March, 2026
Faculty Coordinators:
Dr. Renold Elsen S
Contact No: +91 9994304360
Poster Presentation
We are excited to announce the poster submissions to the IANC-2026 Poster Presentation Session. The final submission date is now March 16, 2026.
☛ Target Participants: Final year UG students, M.Tech students and PhD scholars affiliated with SMEC, VIT.
Poster presentations will align with the following focus areas:
☛ Industry 5.0 & Human-Centric Manufacturing
☛ AI, Digital Twins & Smart Mechanical Systems
☛ Green Hydrogen & Sustainable Energy Technologies
☛ Additive & Hybrid Advanced Manufacturing
☛ Intelligent Automation & Robotics
☛ Smart Mobility
☛ Advanced & Next-Generation Materials
Instructions for Poster Submission
☛ Download the official poster template from the attachment provided. The template contains detailed instructions to help you prepare your poster in accordance with the session guidelines.
☛ Submit your completed poster exclusively via the link below.
☛ Posters must be submitted in PDF format only.
☛ The final date for submitting posters is March 16, 2026. Please note that posters submitted after this date will not be considered.
☛ Your poster should present relevant and technical material that is visually appealing and well-organized.
☛ Posters that do not meet the IANC poster session requirements may not be selected for presentation.
Contact Information
For further queries or clarifications, feel free to reach out to:
Dr. Baskar P
Contact No: +91 9486114993
Dr. Sreethul Das
Contact No: +91 8056469880
Dr. Deepak Kumar Biswal
Contact No: +91 9861298766
Dr. Saboor S
Contact No: +91 9880452903
Team
Chief Patron
Dr. G. Viswanathan
Chancellor
Patrons
Dr. Sankar Viswanathan
Vice President
Dr. Sekar Viswanathan
Vice President
Dr. G. V. Selvam
Vice President
Dr. Sandhya Pentareddy
Executive Director
Ms. Kadhambari S. Viswanathan
Assistant Vice - President
Co-Patrons
Dr. V. S. Kanchana Bhaaskaran
Vice-Chancellor
Dr. Partha S. Mallick
Pro-Vice Chancellor
Dr. T. Jayabarathi
Registrar
Convenor
Dr. S. Jose - Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering (SMEC)
Dr. Porpatham E - Professor HAG, School of Mechanical Engineering (SMEC)
Dr. Ahankari Sandeep Sureshrao - Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering (SMEC)Participation Benefits
- Access to advanced research facilities and high-end testing infrastructure
- Collaborative research and product development opportunities
- Consultancy support from experienced faculty and researchers
- Early access to skilled and industry ready graduates
- Opportunities to sponsor projects, internships and innovation challenges
- Visibility and branding among academia, researchers and future workforce
- Participation in joint grant proposals and funded R&D initiatives
- Be a part of the continuous enhancement of an industry-aligned, future-ready curriculum.
Contact Us
Dr. Kuppan P
Professor & Dean
School of Mechanical Engineering
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore.
Phone: 0416-2202224/2225/2226
E-mail: dean.smec@vit.ac.inDr. V. Samuel Rajkumar
Director
Career Development Centre
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore.
Phone: 0416-220-2740/2841/2842
E-mail: director.cdc@vit.ac.inEmail:
ianc.smec@vit.ac.in
Call:
Dr. Porpatham E : +91 7598225034
Dr. Ahankari Sandeep Sureshrao : +91 7020968904