IIIT Hyderabad, HYSEA Mark Two Years of TechForward Seminar Series with Focus on AI
Hyderabad, June 30 (TNT): International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad and HYSEA celebrated the second anniversary of the TechForward Research Seminar Series with a special edition titled “TechForward 2026: The Future, Powered by AI”, highlighting the transformative role of artificial intelligence and the need for stronger collaboration between academia and industry.
The event brought together leaders from academia, industry, research and the technology ecosystem to deliberate on the future of AI, software engineering, research-led innovation and the growing importance of deep research capabilities in driving technological transformation.
The anniversary edition featured speakers including Aditya Rao (ServiceNow), Dr. Deva Kumar U (IIIT Hyderabad), Maneesh Sehgal (DBS Tech), Shashi Reddy (Qualcomm), Sumeet Mathur (ServiceNow), Prof. B. S. Murty (IIT Hyderabad), Prof. Bhagwan Chowdhry (Indian School of Business), Prof. P. J. Narayanan (IIIT Hyderabad), Prof. Sandeep Kumar Shukla (IIIT Hyderabad), and Rajesh Dhuddu (PwC).
Bipin Pendyala, President, HYSEA, said TechForward had emerged over the past two years as a credible platform connecting academia and industry.
“As technologies like AI continue to reshape every sector, sustained collaboration between researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and industry leaders will be critical to ensuring that India moves up the global innovation value chain,” he said.
Launched in 2024, TechForward was conceived as a recurring platform to foster sustained engagement between academic researchers and technology industry leaders on emerging technologies and innovation opportunities.
Over the past two years, the initiative has evolved into one of Hyderabad’s leading industry-academia forums, bringing together researchers, startup founders, product leaders, architects, policymakers and business executives.
The seminars have been hosted by technology companies, innovation centres and research institutions, with participation from organisations including Qualcomm, Google, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Bosch, ServiceNow, Accenture, Evernorth Health Services, Lloyds Technology Centre, ZF India and the Indian School of Business.
The series has covered a wide range of subjects, including artificial intelligence, large language models, computer vision, robotics, autonomous systems, quantum computing, edge AI, cybersecurity, healthcare technologies, financial services, sustainable mobility, industrial AI, software engineering, energy transition and the intersection of technology and cinema.
Reflecting on the initiative, Ramesh Loganathan, Professor and Dean (Research & Outreach), IIIT Hyderabad, said TechForward was created to bridge the gap between India’s strong academic research ecosystem and its rapidly growing technology industry.
He said the next phase of the initiative would focus on translating discussions into deeper collaborations, joint initiatives and tangible innovation outcomes.
As TechForward enters its third year, IIIT Hyderabad and HYSEA said they would continue strengthening research-led innovation and expanding industry-academia partnerships to drive greater technological impact.
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