Ropar, Feb 6: The School of Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering (sAIDE) at the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar successfully inaugurated a One-Day Workshop on AI for Internal Security and Public Safety alongside a two-day Hackathon on AI for Social Good. These initiatives, organized as pre-summit events for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, aim to advance responsible, inclusive, and scalable Artificial Intelligence solutions in India.
Distinguished Dignitaries at the Inaugural Session
The session commenced with an address by Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, who highlighted the institute’s efforts in leveraging AI for societal welfare and national security. Shri Ram Singh, Special Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, served as Chief Guest, sharing insights from the law enforcement perspective.
The event was further graced by Shri Dinkar Gupta, Professor of Practice at sAIDE and former Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as Guest of Honour, offering perspectives on AI applications in national security. Industry leaders, including Shri Achutan Manohar, Principal Engineering Leader at Microsoft, and Shri Nitin Chugh, Senior Software Engineer at Google, shared their expertise on emerging AI technologies for social impact and security.
Focus on AI for Security and Social Impact
Prof. Ahuja emphasized that the workshop and hackathon are critical steps toward harnessing AI for national security and societal welfare, aligning with India’s vision of global leadership in responsible AI development.
The workshop featured technical demonstrations on applications including Deep Fake Detection, Image Restoration, Anomaly Detection in Multimedia Surveillance, Drone Forensics, Voice Analytics, License Plate Recognition, and Secure Communications for Police Networks. These demos, led by IIT Ropar faculty, showcased practical AI solutions ready for deployment in internal security operations.
The hackathon challenged participants to create innovative AI solutions addressing real-world social challenges, fostering technology-driven social entrepreneurship among India’s brightest young minds.
Indian Army Exhibition Enhances Learning Experience
Adding a practical dimension, the Indian Army set up a special exhibition on campus, showcasing equipment and technologies employed by the armed forces. This provided participants a unique perspective on the real-world applications of technology in defense and security operations, bridging the gap between academic innovation and practical deployment.
Enthusiastic Participation
The events have attracted students, researchers, faculty, and professionals from across India. The 30-hour hackathon, held from February 6–7, included multiple evaluation checkpoints by industry experts and will conclude with a prize distribution and valedictory session on February 7.
These initiatives reflect IIT Ropar’s commitment to promoting AI innovation for national security and societal benefit, while nurturing the next generation of AI researchers and innovators.