HYSEA, TASK Felicitate Faculty Under Project Drona 2.0, Announce Expansion of AI-Focused Initiative
Hyderabad, June 24 (TNT): The Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA), in collaboration with the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), on Wednesday organised the Project Drona 2.0 Convocation Ceremony, recognising faculty members who completed one of Telangana’s largest industry-academia initiatives focused on Artificial Intelligence and future-ready education.
Held at the Tech Mahindra Learning Centre in Hyderabad, the programme aimed at enhancing faculty capabilities in Artificial Intelligence, leadership, curriculum innovation, industry engagement and emerging technologies to better prepare students for an AI-driven workplace.
Project Drona 2.0 was delivered through the Infosys Springboard learning platform and comprised 14 AI learning modules, five leadership courses, four AI certifications and industry-oriented capstone projects designed to align academic learning with industry requirements.
Nearly 400 faculty members from more than 60 engineering institutions across Telangana completed certifications under the programme.
Of them, 212 faculty members from 33 institutions completed the entire learning pathway, while another 185 continue to work towards certification milestones.
HYSEA said the second edition of the initiative recorded an eight-fold increase in faculty certifications, a three-fold increase in faculty completing all learning tracks and a two-fold increase in participating institutions compared to the inaugural edition.
Speaking at the convocation, Prof. V. Balakista Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE), underscored the importance of AI-ready educators and said that while Artificial Intelligence was transforming education, educators continued to provide “Authentic Intelligence” through mentorship, values and human engagement.
JNTU Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kishen Reddy highlighted the need for stronger industry-sponsored research and consulting collaborations to bridge the gap between academia and industry requirements.
HYSEA President Flt. Lt. Bipin Chandra Pendyala reiterated the association’s commitment to strengthening industry-academia partnerships and expanding future editions of the Drona programme to create a larger pool of AI-ready educators.
TASK Chief Executive Officer Nithin Reddy said the increasing participation reflected growing confidence among institutions in industry-led learning models, capstone projects and mentorship-driven programmes.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the “Prabhava Puraskaram” to institutions that demonstrated exceptional commitment to faculty development and achieved the highest learning completion rates.
The award was conferred on MLR Institute of Technology, Anurag University, Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology (GRIET), Vignan Institute of Technology and Science, and MLR Institute of Technology and Management (MLRITM).
The ceremony concluded with the felicitation of graduating faculty members, recognition of participating institutions and appreciation of industry mentors.
HYSEA also announced plans to launch Project Drona 3.0, aimed at further strengthening AI-enabled education, research and talent development across Telangana.
TNT TS
