Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, joins Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, and Prof. M.K. Surappa, Founding Director, as institute launches supercomputing facility and backs six student start ups with ₹1 lakh each
Rupnagar, February 2026: Indian Institute of Technology Ropar marked its 18th Foundation Day with a series of academic and infrastructure announcements, including the launch of a High Performance Computing facility, new digital platforms and seed funding support for student start ups.
Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, attended the programme as Chief Guest and delivered the keynote address. He said institutions such as IIT Ropar contribute significantly to national research capability and entrepreneurial growth.
Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, in his welcome address, reflected on the institute’s growth since its establishment in 2008 and highlighted its research output, patent filings and start up ecosystem. He said the institute aims to strengthen its contribution to research, innovation and entrepreneurship at the national level.
Prof. M.K. Surappa, Founding Director of IIT Ropar and former Vice Chancellor of Anna University, addressed the gathering and spoke about the institute’s trajectory since inception. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Pushpendra P. Singh, Dean of Corporate Alumni Placement and Strategy and Project Director, ANNAM AI.
Among the key announcements was the unveiling of Indus HPC, a High Performance Computing facility designed to support advanced computational research across engineering, life sciences, climate modelling and artificial intelligence. The institute stated that the facility places IIT Ropar among technical institutions with dedicated supercomputing infrastructure.
A commemorative space titled Shaurya Sthal was also unveiled to honour members of the armed forces.
The institute launched Nalanda Chatbot, an in house developed artificial intelligence interface for academic and administrative queries. A Publications Dashboard and a Digital Archive were also introduced to provide structured access to research output and institutional records.
IIT Ropar further announced investment commitments towards its Research and Development and Innovation Fund, indicating external backing for research and commercialisation activities.
During the ceremony, faculty and staff members were recognised for academic and institutional contributions.
In a separate announcement, IIT Ropar formally launched its Student Entrepreneurship Support Programme, awarding seed grants of ₹1,00,000 each to six student led start ups. The selected ventures represent sectors across technology and applied innovation.
Established in 2008 in Rupnagar, Punjab, IIT Ropar operates from a 525 acre campus and offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across engineering, sciences and humanities. The institute hosts ANNAM AI, a Centre of Excellence in artificial intelligence, and the Technology Innovation Hub AWaDH, which focuses on artificial intelligence applications in agriculture and water systems. It also offers an M.Tech in Defence Technology in partnership with the Indian Army.
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