Gorakhpur | The fourth edition of NICEDT–2026 (NIELIT’s International Conference on Communication, Electronics & Digital Technologies) was inaugurated with great enthusiasm in Gorakhpur on Wednesday. Organised under the aegis of NIELIT Gorakhpur, the two-day international conference is being held at Courtyard by Marriott, Ramgarh Tal, and has emerged as a major global platform for dialogue on cutting-edge research, innovation and future pathways in communication, electronics and digital technologies.
The inaugural ceremony was graced by Alokesh Sharma, IAS (Retd.), Member, Public Enterprises Selection Board, who formally inaugurated the conference as the Chief Guest. In his address, Sharma highlighted the transformative role of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and innovation-driven research in accelerating inclusive growth and enhancing India’s global competitiveness. He emphasised that achieving the goals of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat requires strong and sustained collaboration between academia, industry and government.
Welcoming the distinguished guests and participants, Dr. M. M. Tripathi, Director General, NIELIT and Vice Chancellor, NIELIT Deemed to be University, underlined NIELIT’s expanding role in digital skill development, higher education and advanced research. He said NICEDT–2026 serves as a powerful forum for fostering innovation, interdisciplinary research and meaningful industry–academia collaboration.
The conference witnessed the presence of a wide range of eminent personalities from the fields of education, governance and industry, reflecting its multi-stakeholder character. Notable dignitaries included Prof. K. G. Upadhyay, Lokpal, NIELIT Deemed University; Prof. Srinivas Singh, Director, ABV–IIITM Gwalior; Dr. Neerja Gupta, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat University; Prof. Anu Singh Lather, Vice Chancellor, Ambedkar University Delhi; Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, ISM, MeitY; Tulika Pandey, Group Coordinator (HRD), MeitY; Prof. Mohammad Rehan, Director General, National Institute of Solar Energy; Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director, NCERT; Shweta Khurana, Senior Director, Intel Corporation; Dr. Tripta Thakur, Vice Chancellor, Uttarakhand Technical University; and Keshari K. Asthana, CTO – Public Sector, Microsoft India.
NICEDT–2026 has attracted participation from over 500 researchers and authors from India and abroad. The conference features technical paper presentations, keynote lectures, panel discussions and expert sessions focusing on next-generation communication systems, electronics, artificial intelligence, cyber security and digital transformation.
As part of the event, thematic stalls set up by PAN–NIELIT centres across the country showcased advancements in cyber security, VLSI, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI & ML). Several start-ups working in drone technology, IT and electronics also displayed their innovations, drawing significant attention from delegates and visitors.
Sharing their perspectives, Joint Secretary, MeitY, Sushil Pal highlighted the importance of the C2S project, the semiconductor ecosystem and industry-ready manpower, noting that initiatives like NICEDT play a crucial role in nurturing skilled professionals for emerging technology sectors. Microsoft India’s CTO for Public Sector, Keshari K. Asthana, said such international conferences help bring emerging technologies closer to society and can create positive change even in developing regions like Gorakhpur through AI, cloud computing and cyber security solutions.
Dr. Tripta Thakur emphasised that conferences like NICEDT–2026 provide students and researchers valuable exposure to emerging technologies and industry–academia collaboration opportunities. Dr. Neerja Gupta highlighted the strategic importance of emerging technologies in national security, stressing that discussions on AI-driven solutions are vital for strengthening modern defence and decision-making systems.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. D. K. Mishra, Director, NIELIT Gorakhpur, who expressed gratitude to all guests, participants, organisers and partner institutions, and formally announced the successful commencement of the two-day international conference.
