IIT Madras hosts Neurodiversity Summit 2026, proposes Centre of Excellence
Chennai, July 7 (TNT): The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on Tuesday hosted the Neurodiversity Summit 2026, bringing together researchers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry leaders, policymakers and community stakeholders to discuss the creation of an inclusive ecosystem for neurodivergent individuals.
The summit, themed Research, Innovation and Community for Inclusive Futures, focused on developing a collaborative roadmap to support neurodivergent individuals through research, technology, innovation and community partnerships.
A key proposal that emerged from the summit was the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Neurodiversity at IIT Madras.
According to the institute, the proposed centre will undertake research on digital assessment tools, personalised assistive technologies, adaptive vocational solutions and capacity building.
It is also expected to function as a hub for collaborative research, technology translation and community engagement.
The summit was organised by IIT Madras faculty members in collaboration with the institute’s Alumni and Corporate Relations (ACR) Office and brought together experts from management studies, engineering, biotechnology, humanities and other disciplines, along with representatives from NGOs and civil society organisations.
Addressing the inaugural session, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said early identification of neurodiversity, technology development, evidence-based interventions, training for educators and caregivers, affordable assistive technologies and meaningful employment opportunities should form the priorities of the proposed Centre of Excellence.
“We need employment pathways that move beyond tokenism. We should identify specific employment opportunities for people with disabilities,” he said.
Guest of Honour Dr. M. Malaiappan, Director of the Institute of Mental Health, Chennai, said there was a need for deeper research into neurodivergent individuals and greater collaboration among service providers, academia and technology institutions.
He said establishing a Centre of Excellence at IIT Madras would be a significant step towards developing standardised approaches and improving support systems.
Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations) Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam said IIT Madras’ interdisciplinary research ecosystem made it well suited to host the proposed centre and called for a long-term roadmap to ensure its sustainability.
Summit coordinator Prof. Arshinder Kaur from the Department of Management Studies said participants agreed to jointly develop scalable, technology-enabled solutions that recognise and strengthen the capabilities of neurodivergent individuals.
She said priority areas for collaborative research and implementation involving IIT Madras, NGOs, industry and other stakeholders had also been identified.
As part of the immediate action plan, the collaborators will work on pilot projects involving personalised recommendation engines, adaptive training systems and assistive technologies through IIT Madras-NGO partnerships.
The initiative also proposes setting up prototype nodal centres, training staff and interns, and preparing implementation playbooks supported by measurable key performance indicators.
Summit coordinator Prof. Viswanath Kumar Ganesan said the long-term objective was to build a federated ecosystem supporting lifelong learning, independent living and sustainable employment through partnerships involving academia, industry, NGOs and government agencies.
The summit also outlined plans for a federated digital platform that would connect neurodivergent individuals with employers, mentors, funding opportunities and support services, while enabling collaborative research, evidence-based advocacy and policy development.
Among the speakers at the summit were Grundfos India Country President Usha Subramaniam, Vidya Sagar Founder Poonam Natarajan, IIT Madras Professor N. Ramesh Babu and The Clarke School Secretary S. N. Srikanth.
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