The 7th edition of IITMAA Sangam, the flagship annual conference of the IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA), concluded at the Taj MG Road in Bengaluru, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, technology entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss India’s path towards self-reliance. The event was centred on the theme “Atmanirbhar Bharat – Building a Self-Reliant India.”
A key message from the summit came from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who highlighted the need for patient capital and new funding mechanisms for pre-revenue deep-tech and hardware startups. She also pointed to artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing and quantum computing as areas that will require significant infrastructure investment.
Sitharaman said India’s growth agenda would require technology and innovation to reach sectors ranging from agriculture and renewable energy to advanced manufacturing. She also highlighted the IIT Madras initiative to create a fund to support startups as an example of how academia, industry and government can work together.
Focus on Deep Tech, AI and Strategic Technologies
The summit brought discussions across several sectors linked to India’s technology and economic priorities, including artificial intelligence, defence technology, space exploration, digital financial infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing and sustainable infrastructure.
The inauguration featured Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Education, Government of India; Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Indian Navy; Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Dr. Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder, Zoho Corporation; Goda Ramkumar, VP Data Science, Flipkart; Prof. M Vidyasagar, FRS; and Dr. Pratyush Kumar, Co-founder, Sarvam AI, among others.
The summit’s broader programme included discussions on sovereign AI, maritime trade, defence capabilities, semiconductor supply chains and sustainable energy, with participation from organisations including Reliance Intelligence, Flipkart, NVIDIA, Texas Instruments and Tata Electronics.
Pralhad Joshi Highlights IIT Madras Startup Ecosystem
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi described IITMAA Sangam as a convergence point for technology, academia, industry, entrepreneurship and public service in support of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047.
Joshi highlighted India’s growth in electricity generation capacity from 249 GW in 2014 to 552 GW, including around 310 GW of non-fossil capacity. He also noted that India’s grid has recently handled peak demand of 281 GW, with nearly one-third met through renewable energy.
He pointed to IIT Madras’ startup and innovation ecosystem, citing 560 startups, including 109 incubated during 2025-26, a collective valuation of Rs 80,000 crore, 472 patents and Rs 950 crore in alumni contributions.
IITMAA’s chapter network has also expanded from 16 to 51 chapters over the past three years, according to Joshi.
IIT Madras Expands Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, highlighted the institute’s efforts to widen access to technology education and strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem.
IIT Madras’ programmes have reached around 53,000 students, while NPTEL-SWAYAM courses serve around 1.5 million learners.
Kamakoti also noted that the institute has filed more than 400 patents during the last three financial years and has incubated 583 startups with a combined valuation of around Rs 83,000 crore. Around 75% of startups incubated over the last two years have come from outside IIT Madras, reflecting the institution’s wider role in supporting entrepreneurs.
The institute and Unicorn India Ventures have also reached the first close of the IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund I at Rs 450 crore, with the fund targeting early-stage deep-tech companies in areas such as defence, space, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, manufacturing and health technology.
Sridhar Vembu Calls for Greater Technology Self-Reliance
Dr. Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corporation, emphasised the strategic importance of domestic technology capabilities.
Vembu argued that national security is increasingly technology-driven and highlighted the risks associated with dependence on foreign technology platforms. He also cited India’s digital payments infrastructure and NPCI’s UPI as examples of indigenous technology infrastructure operating at large scale.
He said deep-tech development across sectors would be important for India’s economic and technological sovereignty.
IITMAA Expands Alumni Mentorship
Sridhar Boovaraghavan, President of IITMAA and Chair of Sangam 2026, highlighted the Association’s efforts to deepen alumni engagement.
One of the key initiatives is the expansion of the Career and Life Coaching (CLIC) programme, with the objective of pairing every IIT Madras student with a dedicated alumni mentor for personal, academic and professional guidance.
The summit concluded with an award ceremony followed by a cultural performance by musician Guitar Prasanna.
Building Collaboration Across Government, Academia and Industry
The discussions at IITMAA Sangam 2026 reflected a broader focus on strengthening collaboration between government, academia, industry and India’s startup ecosystem.
For deep-tech companies, particularly those developing hardware and other capital-intensive technologies, the emphasis on patient capital comes at a different stage of the startup funding cycle than conventional software-led ventures. The summit’s discussions placed such companies alongside broader national priorities including AI infrastructure, semiconductors, defence, space and renewable energy.
The IIT Madras Alumni Association uses Sangam as a platform to connect alumni, academia, government, industry, entrepreneurs and students around technology, entrepreneurship and nation-building initiatives.
-By Shivani Solanki
