17th edition of Amaltheia Technical Summit commences at IIT Gandhinagar

The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) on Saturday grandly organised the 17th edition of its annual student-run technical summit, Amaltheia ’26. Based on the theme "Strands of Eternity", this two-day programme saw students, academicians, industry experts, and technology enthusiasts enthusiastically participating in various exhibitions, competitions, and dialogues. According to a report from PIB Ahmedabad, this event includes a Tech Expo, Semiconductor Conclave, and national-level competitions.

In the inaugural ceremony of the event, Major General A. K. Mohla, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 11 Rapid (H), inaugurated the flagship Tech Expo by cutting the ribbon. On this occasion, Mr. H. S. Jattana, expert from Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh, IITGN's Deputy Director and Dean of Academic Affairs Prof. Bhaskar Dutt, and Prof. Samir Dalvi were present.

In the Tech Expo, latest demonstrations were presented by various groups including Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), IITGN's Robotics Lab, Quantum Materials and Devices Group, Kapidhvaj AI, Maker Bhavan, Centre for Creative Learning (CCL), PlayStation, ATSN AI, Insidehunt, Lingolab, Arnobots, and PrimeUV. Alongside this, in the Auto Expo, the display of vehicles such as Land Rover, Ford Roadster, Morris Minor, BMW M2, Fiat Select, Ford Mustang, Nissan Jonga, and Mercedes W was a centre of attraction for visitors.

Major General Mohla engaged in a direct dialogue with students and discussed the role of innovation in finding solutions to the requirements of the Indian defence forces and real-world problems. He requested students to develop solutions that are useful for users. Emphasising collaboration between the armed forces, universities, and industries, he said that new ideas should be transformed from the prototype stage into market-ready products. He further stated that if innovations do not reach the public, they have no meaning, and commercialisation is essential to create a meaningful impact.

During the Open Day, visitors had the opportunity to closely observe the work of laboratories and students researching in fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, maritime engineering, smart chemical sensing, and power electronics. As part of the competitions, more than 130 teams participated in the Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition. Additionally, a keynote address was given by Ayush Kumar, founder of the Indian Inter-College Programming Contest (IICPC), followed by the IICPC Hackathon. Technical competitions such as Maze Runner, Fluidynamics, Citython, and RC Racing Roborace, as well as e-sports competitions in BGMI, Free Fire, and Rocket League, were also held.

In the Semiconductor Conclave, experts discussed semiconductor research, manufacturing, and career opportunities. Dr. Vinay Sharma, Principal Engineer at Tata Electronics, stated that for success in the semiconductor sector, it is necessary to gain comprehensive knowledge in subjects such as device design, manufacturing, and packaging. He also highlighted the need for infrastructural facilities like ultra-pure water and uninterrupted electricity.

Dr. Nagendra Prasad, CEO of Indina Technologies Private Limited, stated that localising materials like CMP slurries in India is crucial to meeting global standards and strengthening the supply chain. Meanwhile, Vishal Tejwani spoke about the importance of tabletop assembly tools for hardware startups.

Speaking on India's self-reliance in semiconductor technology, Mr. H. S. Jattana, expert from SCL, Chandigarh, said that defence sector applications such as radiation-hardened electronics are their priority. He encouraged students to cultivate expertise in analog and RF design. Prof. Amit Prashant, Dean of External Relations at IITGN, emphasised the need for greater collaboration between research and industry.

The second day of the programme will be held on 1 November, featuring the Tech Expo, Auto Expo, remaining rounds of the Aeromodelling competition, and e-sports finals. Additionally, programmes such as Wire to Win, Bridge-a-thon, Pathfinder, and Game Jam are included. At the end of the day, musical performances will be presented by DJ Kabir, Ajitanshu, and DJ Rihya.