Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will organise Shaastra 2026, its annual technical festival, on the campus from January 2 to January 6, 2026. According to an official statement, the five-day event is expected to attract more than 80,000 visitors from across the country. The programme will include around 80 events, 130 exhibition stalls showcasing innovations and research outputs from IIT Madras, and a mix of competitions, workshops, conferences, exhibitions and performances.
Shaastra 2026 will be managed entirely by students, with over 750 students involved in planning and execution. The festival follows an ISO 9001:2015-certified organisational process, according to the institute. Now in its 27th edition, Shaastra has been held annually since 2000 and has evolved into a platform focused on student-led engagement with science, engineering and technology.
The theme for this edition is “Artifacts of Arcade”. As per the institute, the theme presents the festival as a structured, interactive environment, where events and activities are designed as progressive challenges. Each competition, workshop or demonstration is positioned as an independent module, encouraging hands-on participation and problem-solving through structured formats.
New events introduced this year
Shaastra 2026 will introduce several new events. These include Robo GP, a robotic racing challenge using high-speed, nitro-powered systems; BioBattle, which focuses on healthcare solutions inspired by biomimicry; and NeuroHack, IIT Madras’ first brain–computer interface hackathon using electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Other additions include E-Contest, a coding competition based on non-conventional programming languages, and Quantified Dilemma, which integrates concepts from game theory, psychology and strategic decision-making.
An Educators Conclave will also be organised under the VidhyaVahak programme, offering sessions aimed at professional development, pedagogy and peer interaction for teachers and educators.
Conferences, summits and lectures
The academic segment of Shaastra 2026 will include ICON26, an international conference focused on smart manufacturing and collaboration between academia and industry. The Digital Governance Summit will also be held, addressing issues related to citizen-centric governance models and open-source digital infrastructure for public systems.
According to IIT Madras, the festival will feature Spotlight Lectures by invited speakers from policy, science and academia. These include Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India; Prof. Jeffrey Ullman, a Turing Award recipient; Prof. Subra Suresh, former Director of the US National Science Foundation; and Dr. Vidita Vaidya, a Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize awardee, among others.
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Cultural programming and public engagement
Evening programmes during Shaastra 2026 will combine technology-led experiences with cultural performances. Scheduled events include a Tech-Entertainment Night featuring electronic music and a stand-up comedy performance as part of the festival’s public engagement activities.
Shaastra’s outreach vertical, Enreach, will continue during the 2026 edition. According to an official statement, Enreach will work with small and medium enterprises on digital transformation planning, conduct ideathons addressing accessibility-related challenges, and run cybersecurity awareness sessions for senior citizens. These initiatives are aimed at extending the festival’s engagement beyond the campus and linking technical knowledge with social applications.
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