IIT Mandi · 13–14 August 2026
A two-day conclave convened by ANRF and IIT Mandi, bridging discovery, policy, industry, and science communication for creating measurable real-world impact.
Countdown
Until opening day, 13 August 2026
About the conclave
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and IIT Mandi are convening researchers, funders and science communicators on the IIT Mandi campus to explore how world-class research can create meaningful impact for society. Bringing together researchers, policymakers, funding agencies, industry leaders, and science communicators, the conclave will examine pathways through which Indian research translates into deep-tech innovation, public policy, industrial adoption, and effective science communication.
The questions, mission-mode programmes, and scholarly output that start every chain of impact.
→Frameworks for measuring outcomes and the governance that carries research into national missions.
→The last mile: making scholarly work accessible, multilingual, and meaningful beyond the seminar room.
Keynote speakers
From Impact Frameworks, translating research from lab to the field, to scaling impact at the national level by building strong academia-industry collaborations, and using social media and AI to democratize and demystifying science.
"Going beyond the white paper ‘What is Impact? Generating Dividends of Economic Growth and Societal Benefits from Research and Innovation’"
"Communicating Science to the Masses"
"Getting Your Research Seen, Understood, and Remembered - Using AI to Create Research Explainer Videos and Webinars"
"Saral AI: Democratising Scholarly Work by Transforming into Accessible, Multilingual Content"
"The 360° Academic: Aligning Research to Market Reality, Supply Chains, and Public Value"
Agenda
Designed as a premium working programme: concise keynotes, focused panels, and room for collaboration.
Welcome; Message from Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi, Prof. Shyam Kumar Masakapalli, Dean SRIC, IIT Mandi, and ANRF CEO Prof. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman.
Speaker: Dr. Aparna Gupta
Speaker: Dr. Debiprosad Duari
Speaker: Dr. Lakshmanan Nataraj
Speaker: Dr. Ponnurangam Kumaraguru
Speakers: Prof. Dipankar Deb (Director, IIT Mandi Catalyst), Mr. Somjit Amrit (CEO and Director, IIT Mandi TIH)
Speaker: Prof. Karthick Athmanathan
Speaker: Amrit Vatsa
Speaker: Amrit Vatsa
Speakers: All workshop attendees
Speakers: All workshop attendees
Workshop
Research communication workshop by 
A hands-on workshop for helping researchers transform technical research presentations into clear, memorable stories for collaborators, funders, policy makers, industry and the wider public.
Why attend
Every session is built to make new working relationships more likely.
Understand national priorities and pathways for translation.
Connect research questions with deployment partners.
Structured and informal conversations across institutions.
Learn how impact-oriented programmes are shaped.
Sharpen how outcomes are articulated, measured, and communicated.
Make complex research legible to wider publics.
The venue
The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi is one among the eighth newer second generation of IITs. IIT Mandi is a research university now located in Kamand Valley, Mandi city in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
The institute became an IIT under The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2011, with the intention to expand the reach and to enhance the quality of technical education in the country. The Act was passed in the Lok Sabha on 24 March 2011 and by the Rajya Sabha on 30 April 2012.
FAQ
Answers to common delegate questions. Final registration circulars can plug into this section later.
Beyond invited delegates, Day 1 of the Conclave is open to researchers, faculty, students, government stakeholders, industry partners and science communicators with an interest in research impact. Day 2 is reserved exclusively for invited delegates, selected from the ANRF + IIT Mandi National Webinar Competition Phase I.
There is no registration fee, but registration is mandatory for non-invited delegates interested in attending Day 1 of the Conclave. Details will be made available in due course. Please register your interest using the registration form link provided above.
Invited delegates selected from the ANRF + IIT Mandi National Webinar Competition will be provided campus accommodation. Owing to limited campus accommodation facilities, those attending Day 1 only may not be able to avail accommodation on campus. The Guest House may be able to guide interested participants to nearby homestays and hotels.
IIT Mandi is accessible conveniently by road from Chandigarh, and Delhi Airport. For further travel options, click the Travel Information button above for more details.
Use the organizing committee contact details below for delegate support, partnerships and media enquiries. Queries with relation to the National Webinar Competition will not be addressed via this email.
Contact
