MIT India’s Group Director Digvijay Karad to Bring Industry, Investment and Future Talent Together at IES 2026 in New Delhi

New Delhi, 20 October 2026: MIT India is set to host the Industry Institute Engagement Summit (IES) 2026, its national platform for industry-academia engagement, leadership dialogue, entrepreneurship, investment and future talent. Scheduled to take place on 24 October 2026 at Radisson Blu Plaza, New Delhi, the summit will bring together leaders from industry, academia, government, entrepreneurship, investment and the talent ecosystem to foster collaboration, exchange strategic insights and build long-term partnerships.

IES 2026 marks the continuation of MIT India’s industry engagement journey across Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. With the summit now arriving in the national capital, the platform seeks to bring conversations around enterprise, policy, talent, innovation and governance closer to the centre of India’s decision-making ecosystem.

With artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and changing workforce expectations reshaping organisations and industries, IES 2026 will focus on how stronger ecosystems can enable organisations and institutions to engage, collaborate and build at scale.

A key highlight of the summit will be the MIT India National Level Hackathon Grand Finale and MIT India Capital Nexus, bringing together student innovators, startups, investors and industry leaders. The Hackathon will feature 30 Engineering teams and 7 Design teams presenting refined, product-grade solutions based on industry-sourced problems to a jury of 12 industry professionals. The Hackathon carries a ₹25 lakh prize pool, along with AWS Certification Vouchers and Cloud Credits. Meanwhile, Capital Nexus will bring together the Top 25–30 startups from the Pune Qualifier Round, along with lateral-entry founders, for engagement with investors, family offices and corporate innovation leaders, with funding opportunities of up to ₹15+ crore.

The HR Summit will bring together CHROs, CXOs, policymakers, academic leaders and HR professionals to discuss the future of talent, leadership and workforce transformation. The programme will feature two high-impact panel discussions on themes including industry-academia engagement, AI and workforce transformation, leadership in an era of disruption and building future-ready organisations. The summit will also feature the HR Leadership Awards, with 25+ awards recognising excellence in people leadership, talent development, workplace transformation and organisational innovation.

IES 2026 will also host two exclusive, invitation-only Round Tables, designed as closed-door forums for senior leaders from industry, government, academia, entrepreneurship and investment. Each session will bring together 10–15 delegates for approximately 45 minutes of moderator-led discussion, following an outcome framework of Problem, Discussion, Recommendations, Action, Owner.

The summit will bring together a distinguished group of government, institutional and industry leaders, including:

●     Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, National Educational Technology Forum - Chief Guest

●     Mr. Rajit Sikka, Regional Head Academic Alliances North India, TCS

●     Mr. Digvijay Karad, Group Director, MIT India

●     Dr. Shitalkumar A. Jain, Director, CRPC

●     Mr. Vinayak Godse, CEO, Data Security Council of India (DSCI) - Guest of Honour Pasted markdown

“IES 2026 is envisioned as a platform where industry, academia, entrepreneurs, investors and future talent can come together to exchange ideas, build meaningful connections and create opportunities for collaboration. As the summit comes to New Delhi, we look forward to taking MIT India’s engagement journey to a national platform, with a strong focus on innovation, future-ready talent and partnerships that can translate ideas into meaningful outcomes. The convergence of the Hackathon, Capital Nexus, HR Summit and leadership Round Tables reflects our belief that sustainable progress is built when diverse ecosystems come together with a shared purpose.” - Mr. Digvijay Karad, Group Director, MIT India

IES 2026 will culminate MIT India’s national engagement journey in New Delhi, bringing together ideas, leaders and opportunities from across the ecosystem. The summit is poised to set the stage for conversations and connections that can shape the next phase of industry, talent and innovation.