- PanIIT Hyderabad Summit 2026 discusses innovation, R&D and technology leadership
- Etela Rajender highlights India’s scientific talent at PanIIT Hyderabad Summit 2026
Hyderabad: PanIIT Hyderabad Summit 2026 brought together national leaders in technology, governance and industry for discussions on innovation, policy and development. The full day summit took place on Sunday at The Westin in Madhapur. More than 250 participants attended the event organised by PanIIT Alumni India, the umbrella body representing over five lakh IIT alumni.
Etela Rajender, Member of Parliament, inaugurated the PanIIT Hyderabad Summit 2026. Speaking on the occasion, he said the IIT ecosystem is spreading high quality science and technology education across India. He also noted that stronger collaboration among ecosystem players and research institutions will improve the country’s innovation landscape. Addressing the gathering, he asked, “Why should we not use the same talent and power to make India even stronger?” He also said, “India’s scientific and technological talent has global demand—let us use it to strengthen our nation.” He further urged the community to develop technology for construction and development rather than destruction.
Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar Barnwal, IAS, CEO of the National Health Authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, spoke about healthcare transformation in India. He explained that fragmented healthcare systems create challenges, including multiple health identities for one citizen and higher Out of Pocket Expenditure. However, he said the country is moving toward a better system. “From a fragmented healthcare system, we are now moving towards an intelligent and productive ecosystem,” he said. He also noted that India has implemented three core Digital Public Infrastructures through India Stack, including digital identity, real time payments and consent based data sharing.
He further highlighted the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which uses digital infrastructure to support interoperability in health transactions. Referring to Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana, he said its IT systems process nearly 20 lakh claims each month. “The infrastructure is now built. Data moves only with consent. Health systems are connected. We are now moving from digitised health to intelligent healthcare,” he added.
Later, Navin Mittal, IAS, Special Chief Secretary for Energy in the Government of Telangana, shared insights on India’s energy infrastructure. He said solar power generation during daytime often surpasses thermal energy production. He also noted that India imports about 85 percent of its petroleum needs and pointed to possible supply concerns due to geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel. He added that electric vehicles have much lower operational costs compared with conventional vehicles. He also highlighted that in December 2025 India’s renewable installed capacity crossed conventional power capacity for the first time.
Bhavesh Mishra, IAS, Special Secretary in the IT and Electronics Department of the Telangana government, spoke on digital governance and public technology transformation. He said Hyderabad has overtaken Bengaluru as India’s leading destination for Global Capability Centres. Citing a study by UnearthInsights, he noted that Hyderabad accounted for 46 percent of new GCCs while Bengaluru captured 33 percent between January and November 2025. He added that Hyderabad currently hosts around 60 GCCs, with another 25 expanding, and said the city has emerged as a major hub for IT, GCCs, pharmaceuticals, defence and aerospace.
The summit also featured discussions on technology, infrastructure, innovation and policy. Speakers included leaders from organisations such as DRDO, Microsoft India, NMDC, MIDHANI, Apollo Hospitals and Yashoda Hospitals. Directors from IIT Dharwad and IIT ISM Dhanbad, along with the Dean of IIT Hyderabad, also participated.
Dr. Tessy Thomas, former Director of DRDO, spoke on “Science, Strategy and Security.” She said space based defence systems will shape future security and added that artificial intelligence will influence how future wars are fought. She stressed that the future of defence and aerospace depends on how India uses science and talent.
Prabhat Kumar, IRS, Chairman of PanIIT Alumni India, said IITians have contributed significantly to nation building and global technology leadership. He also referred to the recent AI Summit and noted that IITians played a major role there. Welcoming participants earlier, summit convener Shri Sudhakar Gande said Hyderabad is among the fastest growing cities in India and added that about 16 percent of India’s software exports come from the city.
The PanIIT Hyderabad Summit 2026 also hosted a panel discussion titled “Tradition Meets Transformation: The IIT Growth Story.” Experts discussed India’s knowledge tradition and the evolving role of IITs in innovation and technology. In addition, a startup session organised with T Hub and T Works allowed startups to present their ideas to angel investors and venture capitalists.
Overall, the summit created a platform for policymakers, innovators and industry leaders to discuss technology driven growth, infrastructure development and collaborative nation building.
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