Ahmedabad, January 31, 2026: Adani University successfully hosted Drobotics Conclave 2026, a two-day national-level technical conclave focused on robotics, drone technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems, at its Ahmedabad campus on January 30–31, 2026. The event drew 279 participants from across the country, bringing together academicians, industry professionals, start-up leaders, researchers, policymakers and students to deliberate on the future of intelligent systems and innovation-led entrepreneurship.
The conclave was supported by Adani Defence and Aerospace as the Title Sponsor, with additional support from the Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST), under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat; the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Gujarat Section and the Student Start-up and Innovation Policy (SSIP).
The inaugural session featured Prof. Dhaval Pujara, Provost, Adani University, who welcomed participants and underscored the need for preparedness in emerging areas of automation and advanced technologies. Mr Sudipta Bhattacharya, Chief Transformation Officer, Adani Group, attended as the Chief Guest and spoke on the strategic role of robotics and drone technologies in defence, manufacturing and national development, highlighting opportunities for young innovators. Prof. Kavi Arya, Founder and Principal Investigator of the e-Yantra initiative at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), addressed the gathering as the Guest of Honour, emphasising experiential learning, engineering capability building and innovation at scale.
A key highlight of the first day was a panel discussion on Innovation and Startup Ecosystem in Robotics and Drone, moderated by Prof. Arya. The panel brought together industry and skilling leaders to discuss start-up opportunities, workforce requirements, industry challenges and pathways for translating research into commercially viable solutions, with active participation from delegates.
Day one concluded with parallel hands-on workshops in robotics and drone technologies, complemented by live demonstrations conducted by technical experts from Adani Defence and Aerospace, including a 10-kg payload-lift drone. The demonstrations offered participants practical exposure to control systems and real-world operational applications and were witnessed by senior officials from the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Government of Gujarat.
The second day featured expert talks on emerging trends in physical artificial intelligence and the practical adoption of industrial robotics in India. This was followed by student competitions, including Robo Race and Maze Solver, with 37 teams competing across two tracks. The competitions fostered problem-solving, innovation and applied learning, with winning teams sharing a total prize pool of ₹1,00,000.
The conclave concluded with a valedictory session addressed by Dr. Narottam Sahoo, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST), who encouraged students to pursue excellence in emerging technology domains critical to India’s development goals. Through Drobotics Conclave 2026, Adani University reiterated its commitment to industry-integrated education, hands-on learning, and the development of a strong start-up and research ecosystem in advanced technologies.