Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will host Shaastra 2026, its annual technical festival, from 2nd to 6th January 2026, on campus. The five-day festival is expected to draw over 80,000 visitors, featuring 80 events, 130 stalls exhibiting innovations of IIT Madras, and a diverse programme of competitions, exhibitions, workshops, conferences and shows.
Entirely student-managed and ISO 9001:2015-certified, Shaastra is among Asia’s largest technical festivals, with over 750 students organising the event.
Now in its 27th edition, Shaastra has grown into a premier platform celebrating science, technology and innovation since its inception in 2000. This year’s theme, “Artifacts of Arcade,” reimagines the festival as an interactive, game-like ecosystem where each competition or workshop feels like a new level to conquer, blending hands-on learning with nostalgia-driven engagement.
NEW & FIRST TIME EVENTS
Shaastra 2026 introduces several first-of-their-kind events, including ‘Robo GP’, a high-speed nitro-fuelled robotic racing challenge, ‘BioBattle’, centred on biomimicry-driven healthcare innovation, ‘NeuroHack’, IIT Madras’ first brain–computer interface hackathon using real EEG data, ‘E-Contest’, a coding challenge based on esoteric programming languages, ‘Quantified Dilemma’, blending game theory, psychology and strategy and the Educators Conclave under the VidhyaVahak programme, offering educators exclusive masterclasses and professional networking.
Addressing a Press Conference today (26th Dec 2025) on this iconic student festival, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said,“Adhering to our motto of "IITM for all" the Shaastra has helped in reaching out all our technical efforts to the public, demonstrating them and engaging the public to take it forward. Many first-of-its-kind hackathons in core technology areas are planned this year”
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Sharing the student experience on organizing this massive event, Mr. Mith R Jain, Co-Curricular Affairs Secretary, IIT Madras, said,“Shaastra sits at the epitome of celebrating STEM innovation. This year, we are taking it a step further by truly executing the vision of ‘Annaivarakum IITM’ or ‘IIT Madras for all’, by making the various labs and Innovation centres of IIT Madras accessible to all for 3 days through Institute Open House. Our theme of ‘Artifacts of Arcade’ further emphasises the unique blend of technology and entertainment that Shaastra focuses on.”
Sharing a Message that was read out on the occasion, Prof. Satyanarayana N. Gummadi, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, said,“This year, our Shaastra Summit and Research Conference focus on ‘Digital Governance Summit’ and ‘ICON26’ respectively. We are looking forward to widespread participation and knowledge sharing from all stakeholders towards sustainable approaches in these domains. While reinforcing our commitment to social impact through ‘Hear4you’, a social campaign with inclusivity, we aim to build awareness about hearing loss, which is often unnoticed but can be treated and supported with medical care. We believe that Shaastra reinforces our role in Nation-building and in creating technology-driven solutions that serve society at large.”
Highlighting Shaastra’s role in taking science and technology beyond classrooms and laboratories, Prof. Murugaiyan Amirthalingam, Co-Curricular Advisor, IIT Madras, said,“Shaastra offers a diverse range of events, workshops, exhibitions and shows across multiple technical and business domains. The events planned include workshops on artificial intelligence, autonomous rover challenges, exhibitions by armed forces and robot wars, among others. We request that school, college students, and techno enthusiasts participate in the events and get immersed in this futuristic tech festival in the country.”
Shaastra 2026 continues its strong social commitment through Hear4You, a student-led campaign focused on hearing health and accessibility. The campaign aims to raise awareness about preventable and treatable hearing loss and promote inclusive communication. A key public milestone is the Hear4You 5K Run, scheduled for December 28, 2025, designed as an inclusive, non-competitive run to bring conversations on hearing health into public spaces.
CONFERENCES, SUMMITS & LECTURES
Key academic and policy platforms include ICON26, an international conference bridging academia and industry in smart manufacturing, and the Digital Governance Summit, focused on citizen-centric, open-source solutions for India’s digital future.
Shaastra 2026 will also feature Spotlight Lectures by distinguished leaders, including Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India; Prof. Jeffrey Ullman, Turing Award laureate; Prof. Subra Suresh, former Director of the US National Science Foundation; Dr.Vidita Vaidya, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize-winning neuroscientist; and several other eminent scientists, administrators and thought leaders.
Evenings at Shaastra will blend technology and entertainment, with a Tech-Entertainment Night featuring electronic music duo Lost Stories and a Comedy Night headlined by stand-up comedian Pranav Sharma.
Extending impact beyond campus, Enreach, Shaastra’s outreach initiative, will support SMEs with digital transformation roadmaps, address accessibility challenges through collaborative ideathons and provide cybersecurity awareness programmes for senior citizens, reinforcing Shaastra’s focus on inclusive and responsible innovation.
With its expansive programme and nationwide participation, Shaastra 2026 reaffirms IIT Madras’ role in nurturing future-ready talent, driving technology-led solutions and strengthening the connection between science, society and policy.