Kshitij 2026 at IIT Kharagpur to Mark 75 Years of Innovation with Asia’s Biggest Techno-Management Fest
IIT Kharagpur will host Kshitij 2026, its annual techno-management symposium, from January 16 to 18, 2026, turning the campus into a national hub of technology, innovation, and ideas. This year’s edition is special as it coincides with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of IIT Kharagpur, marking 75 years of the institute’s contribution to education, research, and nation-building.
Kshitij is one of India’s most prominent student-led technology festivals, and the 2026 edition is seeing strong industry backing. NPCI is the Title Sponsor, HCL Tech the Co-Title Sponsor, and Hero MotoCorp the Associate Title Sponsor, underlining the growing industry-academia collaboration around the festival.
A major highlight of Kshitij 2026 will be its Guest Lecture Series, featuring some of the most respected names in public life and industry. The speakers include Mr. K. N. Vyas, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission; Mr. Ashok Lavasa, former Finance Secretary of India and former Vice President (South Asia), Asian Development Bank; and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the 51st Chief Justice of India.
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Other distinguished speakers include Mr. Suresh Prabhu, former Union Minister; Mr. Rajat Sharma, Founder and Chairman of India TV; Mr. Rishi Kumar Shukla, former CBI Director; and Mr. Bipul Chandra, Managing Director of Ducati India. The lecture series will focus on themes such as governance, constitutional values, economic policy, leadership, and institution-building.
The festival will also host workshops, a Technology Summit, and a Business Conclave, aimed at building industry-relevant skills, promoting entrepreneurship, and encouraging innovation. In previous editions, companies like Bajaj, Boeing, Cisco, and Genpact have actively participated.
On the competition front, Kshitij 2026 will feature a wide range of technical, analytical, and innovation-driven events with participation from students across India and abroad. Core engineering events include Robowars, Drone Racing, Laws of Motion Championship, Line Follower, Droid Blitz, and Sand Rover, testing skills in robotics, automation, aeromodelling, and mechanical design. Mechatronics events will focus on autonomous systems, control algorithms, and real-time decision-making.
Several hackathons and coding challenges will also be organised, including Overnite, Source Code, On-Block Web3 Hackathon, Tech Triad Hackathon, Scam Bust Challenge, Lexicognition AI, Build with Gemini, and the NLP Challenge, covering problem statements in blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
In management and innovation, events like B-Plan, Indian Case Challenge, Enigma (Biz-Tech Quiz), Anadigix, and Kshitij Maths Olympiad will provide platforms for young minds to showcase their strategic and analytical skills. Sustainability-focused initiatives such as SolarVision and the WASH Innovation Challenge will highlight how technology can be used for social impact.
Kshitij 2026 will also host large-scale technology and robotics exhibitions, featuring quadruped robots, humanoid robots, autonomous service robots, AR/VR-based systems, and LiDAR installations presented by the Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design (CoE-UPD), IIT Kharagpur. The exhibition zone will also showcase Ducati motorcycles and feature a professional stunt show by Hero MotoCorp.
Adding to the festival’s scale and energy, the Mega Shows this year will be headlined by live performances from Raftaar and Last Minute India.
With its mix of technology, policy, innovation, competition, and entertainment, Kshitij 2026 is set to be one of the biggest editions in the festival’s history, fitting tribute to 75 years of IIT Kharagpur.
More details are available at www.ktj.in.
