Calls IIT Delhi a cradle of innovation, knowledge, and nation-building

(Photo: Chief Guest Dr. Tessy Thomas delivering the convocation address) 

New Delhi: IIT Delhi held its 56th Convocation ceremony on August 2, 2025. Chief Guest Dr. Tessy Thomas, FNAE, former Director General (Aeronautical Systems), DRDO, and known as the Missile Woman of India, delivered the convocation address. Dr. Thomas is presently Vice Chancellor of the Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education (NICHE), Kanyakumari.

The convocation ceremony was presided over by Shri Harish Salve, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Delhi.

2764 IIT Delhi students, including 530 PhDs (highest-ever), were awarded degrees and diplomas at the convocation.

(Photo: 56^th Convocation: Graduating IIT Delhi Students)

The first graduates in the B. Tech. course in Energy Engineering and three PG courses, the Interdisciplinary M.Tech. course in Robotics, and the Master of Science by Research in VLSI Design, Tools and Technology, and Artificial Intelligence were awarded degrees at the 56th convocation.

Out of a total of 2764 graduating students, 735 are female. From around 20 countries, 43 international students were also awarded degrees. Twenty-year-old Chandan Godara, B.Tech. in Civil Engineering, is the youngest graduate, and sixty-three-year-old Gopal Krishan Taneja, PhD, is the oldest graduate to receive their degrees.

(Photo: Ankit Mondal - President’s Gold Medal Awardee)

Ankit Mondal, B. Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering, received the President’s Gold Medal for obtaining the highest CGPA amongst the graduating students of the B.Tech. and Dual Degree programmes.

Expressing joy over being awarded the President’s Gold Medal, Ankit Mondal said, “I am very happy to receive the President's Gold Medal. This achievement would not be possible without my parents and professors' unconditional support and my friends, who made the tough times a bit more bearable. I am thankful to IIT Delhi for providing us with the opportunity to study and work with the best minds across the world irrespective of our social standing.”

(Photo: Jaskaran Singh Sodhi - Director’s Gold Medal Awardee)

Jaskaran Singh Sodhi, B. Tech in Materials Science and Engineering, received the Director’s Gold Medal for the best all-rounder amongst the graduating students of the B.Tech. and Dual Degree programmes.  

Jaskaran Singh Sodhi said, “I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this prestigious award. My journey at IIT Delhi has been immensely fulfilling, shaped by the constant support of professors, friends, seniors, and staff. I was fortunate to lead impactful initiatives as part of the Student Affairs Council and represent the Institute at national and international platforms. I'm truly humbled that my academic, co- and extra-curricular contributions have been recognised with the Director’s Gold Medal.

(Photo: Devinder Kumar - Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (Former President of India) Gold Medal Awardee)

Devinder Kumar, M. Tech. in Structural Engineering, received the Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (Former President of India) Gold Medal. This medal is awarded to a student adjudged the best for general proficiency, including character and conduct, excellence in academic performance, extracurricular activities, and social service, among all the graduating M.Tech. students.

Devinder Kumar said, “I am incredibly grateful to IIT Delhi for giving me the opportunity to pursue a master’s and for honoring me with this prestigious award. Believe me, it is all like a dream come true. I would like to thank all the faculty, staff, and my colleagues who helped me from time to time to achieve my goals. And most importantly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my parents and family for their unwavering support throughout my life & for believing in my decisions.”

Two students were awarded the Perfect Ten Gold Medals (Shreyansh Gupta, M.Tech. in Thermal Engineering, and Soumili Chakraborti, M.Tech. in Polymer Science and Technology) for securing a CGPA of 10 out of 10 in PG programmes. The Institute Silver Medals were awarded to 16 students for obtaining the highest CGPA in their programmes.

While addressing the graduating students, Chief Guest Dr. Tessy Thomas said, “It is with immense pride and a deep sense of honour that I stand before you today at the 56th Convocation of IIT Delhi—a cradle of innovation, knowledge, and nation-building. You have reached the culmination of years of rigorous study, countless hours of experimentation, and sleepless nights of coding, designing, analysing, innovating, and aiming high. At IIT Delhi, you have mastered the principles of science and engineering and cultivated values like curiosity, resilience, and the courage that define a global technologist.”

Dr. Thomas said, “A time when the world is rapidly digitizing, adopting new technologies, and ensuring those technologies are ethical, inclusive, and sustainable is a great challenge for future engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Whether it is decarbonization, water conservation, digital equity, bio-innovation, or an engineering marvel, let it be your contribution to society. India is in the midst of a powerful transition, from importing technologies to exporting innovations. ISRO launches, DRDO systems, indigenous semiconductors, AgriTech startups, and Bharat-made AI platforms are proof of these achievements. The vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat is no longer aspirational, and institutes like IIT Delhi are at the core of this journey.

Let me touch upon a few technologies where I see enormous promise and responsibility for generations to come.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Models: AI is now integrated into national security systems, medical diagnostics, and disaster prediction. The coming years will demand AI to be explainable, unbiased, and human-centric.

Sustainable Energy and Circular Economy: The future will not be powered by fossil fuels, and the shift to hydrogen, solar, and bio-based fuels, along with storage innovations, will redefine the energy systems. IIT Delhi’s research on energy science, electric vehicles, and waste reuse puts the institution in a pivotal position to lead this revolution. 

Quantum Technologies: With expertise in physics, materials science, and computation, IIT Delhi is poised to contribute to quantum communication, quantum sensing, and the new frontier of the quantum internet. 

Space and Satellite Technologies: As someone who has worked with missile systems, I can tell you—the space above us is waiting to get explored more and more. This generation will define how we use these space technologies for climate resilience, agriculture, disaster management, and global communications. 

Human-Machine Interfaces: With wearable sensors, bio-chips, and augmented reality, the boundary between machine and human is narrowing and comes with the need for responsible innovation that preserves privacy and dignity.”

Dr. Thomas, the Missile Woman of India, said, “Developing advanced systems across all domains—missiles, naval platforms, aeronautical systems, cyber technologies, life sciences, and electronics— requires a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach. Today, India is accelerating its journey towards Atmanirbhar Bharat through integrated partnerships between government agencies, academia, scientific institutions, and industry. With new policies encouraging deeper academic and industrial collaboration, institutions like IIT Delhi are becoming key enablers in shaping future-ready solutions for national defence and societal well-being.”

Addressing the students, she added, “In a world increasingly driven by data, algorithms, and automation, human values will matter more than the valuations. IIT education has prepared you to build systems and has trained you to be custodians of trust in a world dominated by technology. As you step out, remember the words of Prof. Satish Dhawan, one of India’s finest aerospace scientists— “Progress in science and technology must be accompanied by progress in thought, values, and compassion.”

(Photo: Shri Harish Salve, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Delhi)

Addressing the graduating students, Shri Harish Salve, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Delhi, said, "On this day, as I hand you your hard-earned laurels, I would like to share with you some ideas. Do not let your success or your failures define you—measure yourself by the battles you have had the courage to fight. A soldier measures his worth by the battles he fought—not by the battles lost or wars won. Learn to separate the grain from the chaff. In this age of information, there is excess in all forms. You must learn to separate noise that incites from the melody and harmony that inspire. You must learn to discern the truth without getting waylaid by rhetoric and demagoguery. You must always remember that information can be harnessed, but it can also be weaponized—so always separate the grain from the chaff. You must learn the art of not limiting your aspirations and must ingrain the belief that your achievements are limited more by your own inhibitions than by externalities. Fortune plays a part, but never become a hostage to fortune. You must remember that armed with your learning and your minds, the world’s challenges are your opportunities.”

         

                                (Photo: Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi)

Addressing the graduating students, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said, “We enjoyed having you on the campus. As you step out of the comfort zone of this campus into the real world, you will engage with a world of challenges and opportunities. Remember that your learning continues. We have equipped you with skills, tools, and technologies and the ability to think on your feet. Approach every new situation with humility and a willingness to learn. Learn to understand and empathise with people. We have taught you to question, to think for yourself. Please have the courage of your convictions. The oath that you will take today commits you to have honesty and integrity in everything that you do.”

He added, “In this Convocation, we are awarding 530 Ph.D. degrees—this represents the clear focus and emphasis on research.”

In 2025, IIT Delhi started a new B.Tech. programme in Design, a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, M.Tech. and MS(R) in Photonics. The Institute has also launched a joint PhD and a joint master’s program (Biological Sciences) with Sorbonne University, France.

At the 56th convocation, IIT Delhi honoured its esteemed alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Awards 2025 (Distinguished Alumni Award—06 alumni, Distinguished Alumni Service Award—01, Graduates of Last Decade (GOLD) Award—01). Today, the Institute also launched a DAA (Distinguished Alumni Award) Wall in the Lecture Hall Complex.

Shri Harish Salve, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Delhi, launched the DAA Wall in the presence of the convocation chief guest, Dr. Tessy Thomas, distinguished alumni, and IIT Delhi Director.

This commemorative installation will honour the DAA recipients—the highest recognition conferred by the Institute upon its alumni for exceptional achievements and societal contributions. This initiative reflects IIT Delhi’s commitment to strengthening alumni engagement and recognise the lifelong impact of its graduates. Instituted in 1992, the DAA has been awarded to 151 alumni to date.

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