Title
18th Foundation Day of IIT Ropar
Description
The Foundation Day is an annual milestone for IIT Ropar — founded in 2008 — celebrated every year on 24 February as a way to mark its establishment and growth as a research-intensive institution of national importance.
Date & Occasion - The 18th Foundation Day of the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar was celebrated on Tuesday, 24 February 2026 at the institute’s auditorium in Rupnagar (Ropar), Punjab, India.
Theme & Significance - The theme for this year’s celebration was “Accelerating R&D, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Country” — reflecting IIT Ropar’s focus on research excellence, innovation-led growth, and entrepreneurial impact.
Chief Guest & Highlights - Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, was the Chief Guest at the event.
The celebration included speeches by the institute’s leadership, reflections on its journey since its inception in 2008, and recognition of achievements in research, innovation, and institutional growth.
Key Launches & Announcements - During the 18th Foundation Day celebrations, IIT Ropar unveiled several major initiatives:
Indus HPC — a new High Performance Computing facility to boost research across engineering, life sciences, climate modelling, and AI.
Shaurya Sthal — a commemorative space to honour the nation’s armed forces.
Nalanda Chatbot — an AI-powered chatbot developed in-house to support academic and administrative queries.
A Publications Dashboard and Digital Archive of IIT Ropar for organized access to research output.
Investment commitments to the institute’s Research & Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) from external partners.
Launch of the Student Entrepreneurship Support Programme, including seed grants to six student-led startups.
Date & Occasion - The 18th Foundation Day of the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar was celebrated on Tuesday, 24 February 2026 at the institute’s auditorium in Rupnagar (Ropar), Punjab, India.
Theme & Significance - The theme for this year’s celebration was “Accelerating R&D, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Country” — reflecting IIT Ropar’s focus on research excellence, innovation-led growth, and entrepreneurial impact.
Chief Guest & Highlights - Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, was the Chief Guest at the event.
The celebration included speeches by the institute’s leadership, reflections on its journey since its inception in 2008, and recognition of achievements in research, innovation, and institutional growth.
Key Launches & Announcements - During the 18th Foundation Day celebrations, IIT Ropar unveiled several major initiatives:
Indus HPC — a new High Performance Computing facility to boost research across engineering, life sciences, climate modelling, and AI.
Shaurya Sthal — a commemorative space to honour the nation’s armed forces.
Nalanda Chatbot — an AI-powered chatbot developed in-house to support academic and administrative queries.
A Publications Dashboard and Digital Archive of IIT Ropar for organized access to research output.
Investment commitments to the institute’s Research & Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) from external partners.
Launch of the Student Entrepreneurship Support Programme, including seed grants to six student-led startups.