ICAI 2026 organized by CCT-CGC Landran highlights AI Innovation and startup collaboration
Chandigarh, 4th February 2026-The International Conference on Artificial Intelligence: Innovation in Computation, Management and Biotechnology (ICAI 2026) was organized by Chandigarh College of Technology (CCT), CGC Landran, in collaboration with ACIC RISE Association, as a pre-summit initiative to the AI Impact Summit 2026. The two-day conference brought together eminent academicians, researchers, industry leaders and startup innovators from India and abroad to deliberate on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in advancing research, innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. The inaugural ceremony was graced by the presence of Chief Guest Prof. Dr. Bhola Ram Gurjar, Director, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Chandigarh; Guest of Honour Er. Pritpal Singh, Executive Director, Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST), Chandigarh; and special guest Dr. Deepak Kapoor, Senior Scientist, PSCST, Chandigarh. They were accompanied by Dr. Rajdeep Singh, Campus Director, Dr. Palki Sahib Kaur, Director-Principal, CCT, CGC Landran, among others. The inaugural keynote addresses highlighted AI’s role in entrepreneurship, research and societal development. The dignitaries also released the Conference Proceedings and Abstract Booklet with ISBN. Keynote and technical sessions of day one featured distinguished speakers including Mr. Tarun Malhotra, Founder & CEO, Cyber Splunk and Cyber Academy; Dr. Balwinder Singh, Joint Director & Head, ASCD, C-DAC Mohali; and Dr. Vandna Bharti, Assistant Professor, School of AI and Data Engineering, IIT Ropar. Their talks explored AI applications in healthcare, computation, and beyond, fostering active academic exchange. The second day expanded discussions to AI applications in computation, management, biotechnology, sustainability and education. Eminent speakers included Dr. Ehesan Ali, Professor, INST, Mohali; Mr. Mohit Pahwa, VKM’s NMIMS, Chandigarh; Mr. Ashutosh Parida, Head of Engineering, Sagri Co. Ltd., Bengaluru; Dr. Jagandeep Sidhu, Senior Platform Engineer, Code Tantra Tech Solutions, Hyderabad; and Dr. Jalpa Soni, Senior Data Scientist, AI Innovation Lab, Barcelona, Spain. A special address by Mr. Tanvir Singh (IIT Bombay) emphasized AI’s role in cultivating critical 21st-century skills through digital education. A major highlight was the Startup Panel Discussion on ‘Artificial Intelligence Driving Startup Innovation: From Ideation to Success.’ The valedictory ceremony witnessed felicitation of outstanding students in addition to the winners of various competitions. Winners of the Best Student award included Ms. Beenu (BSc Biotech sem 3), Ms. Gunjan Bhardwaj (BSc Biotech sem 5), Ms. Kunjan (BSc Micro sem 3), Ms. Vaidehi (BSc Micro sem 5), and Ms. Tamanna (MSc Biotech sem 3). Poster Presentation winners included Hritik Singh, Siya Singh, and Dr. Dibyajyoti Banerjee (PGIMER, Chandigarh) in first place, followed by Ms. Bhawna Chaudhary (Panjab University) and Mr. Gurwinder Singh (CCT, CGC Landran). Oral Presentation winners in Computation & Management were Mr. Manit Malhotra (Panjab University) in first place, Ms. Jaspreet Kaur (CEC, CGC Landran) in second, and Ms. Sonali Kamra (Guru Kashi University) in third. In Life Sciences, Ms. Anshu Kumari Yadav (Chandigarh University) secured first place, followed by Ms. Amritpreet Kaur (CGC University, Mohali) and Dr. Vikas Kumar (Chandigarh University). The conference concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, HoD, Dept. of Biotechnology, marking ICAI 2026 as a significant step toward fostering innovation, interdisciplinary research, and collaboration in the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence, aligned with the vision of the AI Impact Summit 2026.