Mahindra University Hosts ICETCI 2026, Bringing Global AI and Computational Intelligence Researchers Together

Researchers, academics and technology professionals from India and abroad gathered at Mahindra University for the sixth International Conference on Emerging Techniques in Computational Intelligence (ICETCI 2026), focusing on developments in artificial intelligence, advanced computing and emerging computational methods.

The four-day conference brought together participants from around 120 institutions across India, the United States, Japan and other countries. The programme included technical workshops, keynote sessions and close to 200 contributed research presentations that underwent a peer-review process.

Research discussions at the conference covered computational intelligence, artificial intelligence, optimisation and advanced computing, along with their applications in areas including healthcare, digital trust, brain-computer interaction and efforts to counter misinformation.

The event also highlighted the growing intersection between computational intelligence and other emerging technologies. Dr L. Venkata Subramaniam, CEO of Qbit Force Quantum Pvt. Ltd. and former head of IBM Quantum India, said the convergence of AI, quantum computing and advanced computational techniques could influence the next stage of development in the field.

He pointed to India's expanding research base and technology ecosystem, saying academic-industry platforms could help researchers and practitioners exchange ideas and identify areas for further innovation.

The inaugural session featured Dr Satheesh Reddy, former chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and former Director General of Missiles and Strategic Systems, alongside Prof. Debashish Bhattacharji, former Vice President – Research, Technology & New Materials at Tata Steel Global.

Bhattacharji said computational intelligence was increasingly moving beyond specialised research and becoming an enabler for innovation across different sectors. He emphasised the importance of combining developments in algorithms, computing, materials and domain-specific expertise to address complex problems.

The conference's keynote speakers included Kalyanmoy Deb of the University of Alabama, USA; Simon See, Global Head of the NVIDIA AI Technology Centre in Singapore; Pankaj Dayama of IBM Research India; Pradeep Kumar Jilagam of Micron Technology Operations India; and Shalabh Bhatnagar of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

According to the organisers, researchers from across the world presented nearly 140 papers during the conference. The studies examined a range of emerging applications and challenges associated with artificial intelligence and computational intelligence.

Dr Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor of Mahindra University, said the conference demonstrated the increasing relevance of computational intelligence to research, industry and wider societal challenges. He added that the university aims to promote interdisciplinary research and prepare students to work in a rapidly changing technology environment.

Dr Arya Kumar Bhattacharya, Dean of Research and Development at École Centrale School of Engineering, Mahindra University, said the field draws on mathematics, computer science, engineering and specialised domain research. He said interactions between researchers and industry professionals were important for translating emerging computational techniques into practical applications.

Alongside the technical programme, ICETCI 2026 included a cultural event for participants from academic and industry backgrounds.

The conference comes as artificial intelligence research increasingly intersects with areas such as quantum computing, healthcare technologies, human-computer interaction and information integrity, making interdisciplinary research a growing part of the computational intelligence landscape.