Chandigarh University launches Build Summit 2026 on Engineers’ Day, brings industry and students together
‘Youth Will Drive Viksit Bharat by 2047; Innovation and Research Key to India’s $35 Trillion Economy’: Former DAE Nuclear Planning Head Dr Arun Kumar Nayak
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 15, 2026: Chandigarh University marked Engineers’ Day with the launch of Build Summit 2026, a technology summit themed ‘Innovating for Bharat’, bringing together engineering students, industry leaders and experts from the fields of energy, mobility, semiconductors, cybersecurity, agritech and infrastructure.
The summit provided engineering students a platform to showcase their technical skills, creativity and problem-solving abilities through a range of challenges and demonstrations, including a technology exhibition, hackathon, RC Off-Road Robo Race and Aerial Ops–Drone Challenge.
The summit was inaugurated in the presence of Dr Arun Kumar Nayak, former Head of the Nuclear Controls and Planning Wing, Department of Atomic Energy; Jai Inder Singh Sandhu, Managing Director, Chandigarh University; Gursharan Singh, Senior Vice President, Backend Operations, Micron Technology; Swapnil Jain, Co-Founder, Ather Energy; CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, Engineering Department, PWD, UT Chandigarh; Pramod Kumbhar, CTO and President, PRAJ Matrix R&D Centre; Nagendra Pansare, Senior General Manager, Product Development, Mahindra Farm Machinery Division, Mohali; Teja Chintalapati, Principal Manager, Cyber Innovation, Data Security Council of India; Subhash Kalidindi, Director, Nanofabrication, Srsti Quantum; and Yogita Potaliya, AVP, Contracts, Cube Highways and Transportation Assets Advisors (P) Ltd.
On the occasion, noted engineer RK Jain, former Chief Engineer, PWD Haryana, was felicitated with the Bharat Nirman Samman Award as part of the Engineers’ Day celebrations.
As part of Build Summit 2026, Chandigarh University, in collaboration with byteXL, organised byteBuilt 1.0, a 24-hour innovation hackathon aimed at encouraging creativity and innovation among computer science engineering students.
The hackathon saw participation from 41 teams comprising 135 students from 16 universities across India.
The first prize was won by Chandigarh University’s team MediSphere for its AI-powered healthcare platform designed for educational campuses. The platform connects students, doctors, pharmacies, parents and emergency services through a single secure system and offers features including symptom assessment, emergency SOS support, digital medical records, doctor connectivity and medicine delivery.
Dabang Coders of Panjab University secured the second prize, while CodeBliss of Chandigarh University won the third prize.
In the Aerial Ops–Drone Challenge, Harry Tanwar won the first prize, followed by Arush Singh in second place. Navjosh Singh and Anurag jointly secured the third position. The winners will work on developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for border surveillance in collaboration with Johnnette Technologies Private Limited.
In the RC Off-Road Robo Race, Techab, Viksit Velocity and Baba Group secured the first, second and third positions respectively. The winners will work on developing autonomous vehicles in collaboration with industry partners.
Another major attraction of the summit was ‘Innovision’, a technology exhibition featuring more than 50 projects developed by Chandigarh University students. The projects covered areas including artificial intelligence and intelligent systems, drones, aerospace, robotics, sustainable mobility, healthcare, MedTech, agri-tech, cybersecurity, blockchain, infrastructure, advanced materials and nanotechnology.
Among the projects showcased were AeroClairr’s Made-in-Bharat autonomous drone platform, HydroDrive and HydroHybrid’s solar-charged hydrogen hybrid vehicle, HydroGelRx’s hydrogel-based controlled drug delivery system, StrataCC’s 5G Edge AI solution for intelligent network traffic management, and RegenABS’s regenerative braking and anti-lock braking system for electric vehicles.
In his keynote address, Dr Arun Kumar Nayak said India’s transformation into a developed nation by 2047 would depend heavily on innovation, research and engineering capabilities.
“For the first time in the country’s history, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given us a very big dream of transforming India into Viksit Bharat by 2047. We dream of taking India to a $35 trillion economy, but if we do not innovate, India cannot make this transformational jump,” he said.
Nayak said engineers and scientists would play a crucial role in developing new technologies and solutions for the country. He also proposed that Chandigarh University take the lead in establishing a Centre for Nuclear Studies to train young engineers in nuclear power technology and contribute to India’s energy mission and export potential.
Gursharan Singh, Senior Vice President, Backend Operations, Micron Technology, said engineering was undergoing a major transformation driven by artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, automation and digital technologies.
“Yet, technology is ultimately about people. As engineers, we must ensure that the technologies we create solve meaningful problems, improve lives and contribute positively to society,” he said.
Jai Inder Singh Sandhu, Managing Director, Chandigarh University, said the Build Summit was aimed at encouraging students to use available tools and resources to address real-life challenges.
“For a Viksit Bharat, we have the vision and competent leadership; what we need is infrastructure and the energy, ideas and innovation of our youth,” he said, encouraging students to look beyond engineering as a discipline and focus on solving real-world problems and developing practical innovations.
Swapnil Jain, Co-Founder, Ather Energy, said India had undergone a major transformation over the past decade, moving from being primarily a country of assemblers to one increasingly focused on building and creating.
“The golden opportunity for young engineers is to build, take risks and create value. Strong industry-academia collaboration can help bridge the gap between real-world problems and innovative solutions,” he said.
CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, Engineering Department, PWD, UT Chandigarh, said engineers would need to consider the wider social and environmental implications of emerging technologies.
“As artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, renewable energy and digital technologies transform the way we live and work, engineers must ask not only can we build it, but also should we build it, how should we build it and for whom,” he said, stressing the importance of sustainability, inclusivity, resilience and public service in the future of engineering.