The ceremony was presided over by IIT Goa Board of Governors Chairperson Adil Zainulbhai. Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, attended as the Chief Guest, while Dr Anand Deshpande, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Persistent Systems Ltd., was the Guest of Honour.
Among the awardees, M Thilin P (BTech Computer Science and Engineering) received the prestigious President of India Gold Medal, while Deval Nyaneshwar Gawas (MTech Electrical Engineering) was presented with the Institute Gold Medal. Atharva Sachin Keny (BTech Computer Science and Engineering) was named the Best Outgoing Student (Overall), and Dr Rubal (PhD Mechanical Engineering) received the Best Doctoral Thesis Award (Engineering).
Addressing the graduating students, Adil Zainulbhai urged them to become job creators rather than job seekers.
"Move beyond the traditional job-seeking mindset and become creators of opportunities and nation-builders. India's growth will be driven by young professionals capable of developing indigenous solutions to emerging challenges," he said, while stressing the importance of entrepreneurship, innovation and continuous learning.
Guest of Honour Dr. Anand Deshpande encouraged graduates to prepare for long and dynamic careers by embracing lifelong learning and adaptability. "Sustained professional success rests on five pillars: ambition, continuous learning, teamwork, strong personal values and perseverance. Focus on creating value and contributing meaningfully to society through innovation and leadership," he said.
Chief Guest Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood called upon graduates to translate research into practical solutions that benefit society. "Young Indians have demonstrated remarkable achievements in science and technology. The challenge now is to convert research into scalable real-world solutions. Emerging interdisciplinary fields such as artificial intelligence, biology and quantum technologies will play a crucial role in addressing global scientific and environmental challenges," he said.
Presenting the institute's report for 2025-26, IIT Goa Director Prof Dhirendra Katti congratulated the graduating students and highlighted the institute's academic and research achievements. "As IIT Goa approaches its tenth anniversary, we are introducing several new academic initiatives, including a double-major pathway for undergraduate students, industry-focused MTech specialisations, an MS by Research programme and two-year MSc programmes," he said.
Prof Katti said the institute secured 15 Extramural Research (EMR) projects with cumulative funding of approximately Rs 690.88 lakh during the year. IIT Goa also expanded its academic and research collaborations by signing 11 strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with national and international institutions.
Highlighting the institute's growing industry connect, Prof. Katti said the graduating batch recorded a placement rate of 92.25 per cent, reflecting the institute's strong academic reputation and industry engagement.
Faculty members, staff, students, parents and invited dignitaries were also present at the convocation ceremony
