Chennai 23rd September 2026: SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, is set to host the 20th edition of Aaruush, its National-Level Techno-Management Fest, from 24 to 27 September 2026. The four-day fest will bring together students, academicians, industry professionals and technology enthusiasts through a diverse programme of competitions, workshops, exhibitions, summits and cultural programmes.
Inaugurated in 2007 by the late Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Aaruush has, over the years, welcomed distinguished personalities including Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Dr. A. S. Kiran Kumar, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal, General Dr. V. K. Singh, Dr. V. Natarajan, Shri P. K. Malhotra, Mr. Suresh Raina and Dr. Sridhar Vembu. Their association with the fest reflects Aaruush’s longstanding engagement with leaders from science, technology, public service and industry. Carrying this legacy into its 20th edition, Aaruush ’26 brings together a wide range of technical, academic and cultural engagements, with Zakir Khan and When Chai Met Toast among its previous cultural attractions.
Speaking about the 20th edition, Prof. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, said, “Aaruush ’26 celebrates two decades of ideas, innovation and student-led exploration. Its 20th edition brings together diverse voices from academia, industry and the student community, fostering an ecosystem where ideas are challenged, refined and transformed into new possibilities for the future.”
Mr. Dominic David, President, KLA India, will grace the occasion as Chief Guest. He leads Operations at KLA India, steering its growth as a Centre of Excellence for software, algorithms and AI.
Ms. Guncha Malik, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM), IBM, will be the Guest of Honour. A CISSP and CCSP-certified security expert, she works at the intersection of cloud security, ethical AI and quantum computing, and serves as an IBM Quantum Ambassador engaging with academia.
The journey towards this landmark edition has already featured several major technical initiatives. T-Summit 10.0 brought together representatives from 30 institutions, including Shizuoka University and Hochschule Furtwangen University, for discussions on innovation, student development, governance and responsible digital transformation. The deliberations also explored ways to translate these discussions into institutional mechanisms and practices.
Another major initiative, Hack Summit 7.0, brought together more than 1,000 participants for a 36-hour hackathon focused on developing technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges. The projects progressed from ideas to practical applications across areas including AI-powered data analytics, distributed computing, healthcare and predictive aquaculture, with several solutions demonstrating potential for scalability, industry application and further development.
Building on these initiatives, Aaruush ’26 features a technical line-up of more than 100 events, including E-Summit, Nx-Gen Forum, Lanstorm, Turbo Drift, Quadcopter, Roboleague, Main Quiz and Cognixion. Together, these events span computing, entrepreneurship, engineering and strategic problem-solving, offering students opportunities to explore ideas, test their skills and engage with emerging areas of technology.
As Aaruush completes two decades, its 20th edition brings together technology, learning, competition and culture, continuing its journey of placing student ideas, innovation and exploration at the heart of the fest.