Pune: Southern Army Commander Urges Innovation Push as Premier Engineering Institute Marks 32 Years

Pune, 23rd February 2026: Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command and Patron-in-Chief of the Army Institute of Technology (AIT), graced the institute’s 32nd Foundation Day celebrations as chief guest.

Addressing the gathering, the Army Commander congratulated AIT on its sustained pursuit of academic and professional excellence. He noted that AIT, the first professional college established under the Army Welfare Education Society, has emerged as a premier centre of learning, nurturing technology leaders, innovators, and future-ready professionals for the nation. Emphasising the Indian Army’s ongoing Decade of Transformation, he underscored the importance of self-reliance and technological advancement, and encouraged students and faculty to focus on innovation in dual-use domains such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, big data analytics, and augmented reality. He also urged students to leverage the Army’s internship initiatives and contribute to the national innovation ecosystem.

Earlier, Maj Gen Uday Shankar Sengupta, Director of AIT, welcomed the dignitaries and highlighted the institute’s focus on holistic development through academic excellence, co-curricular engagement, and extracurricular initiatives. He reiterated AIT’s vision of evolving into a globally recognised centre of quality education for the children of Army personnel.

Adding to the significance of the occasion, Padma Shri awardee Anu Aga, Chairperson of Thermax Ltd, attended as guest of honour and was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to industry, innovation, and nation-building.

The ceremony also featured the presentation of the Distinguished AIT Alumnus Award to Puru Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of True Elements, and the Illustrious Alumni Award in Defence to Maj Sipra Majumdar, VSM (Retd), in recognition of their distinguished achievements.

Among student honours, Anushna Panwar received the Chief of Army Staff Best All-Round Student Rolling Trophy. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Awards were presented to Kushi Shah (Computer Engineering), Anushna Panwar (Information Technology), Isha Rana (Mechanical Engineering), and Akana Sardar (Electronics and Telecommunication). The Rajput Regiment Trophy for Best Sportsperson was awarded to Vanshika of Third Year Computer Engineering.

Faculty and staff excellence was also recognised. Dr Sagar Rane received the Best Research Award, Dr Dipika Birari was honoured with the Best Teacher Award, and the Non-Teaching Award for administrative excellence was presented to Nitin Sukhadeve and Imadad Ali Qazi for their contributions to the institute.

The celebrations concluded on a high note, reaffirming AIT’s enduring commitment to excellence in keeping with its motto, “Onward to Glory.”