In a landmark convergence of military leadership and academic excellence, IIT Bombay is set to host India's top defence officials at its flagship Defence Symposium 2.0 during Techfest 2025. The event, scheduled from December 22 to 24 at the institute's Powai campus, will feature Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan as the key participant alongside former chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Military Leadership Gathers for Strategic Dialogue
The Defence Symposium 2.0 represents a significant milestone as it brings together the country's most experienced military minds for the first time at a university technology festival. General Anil Chauhan, India's seniormost military officer and the architect of the integrated theatre command system, will share his strategic vision at the symposium.
Joining him will be three recently retired service chiefs: General Manoj Pande (29th Army Chief), Admiral R Hari Kumar (25th Navy Chief), and Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari (27th IAF Chief). This unprecedented gathering of military leadership promises deep insights into India's defence preparedness and future direction.
Critical Themes in National Security
The symposium will delve into crucial aspects of modern defence and security, focusing on several key areas that are reshaping military strategy globally. Participants will explore the evolving nature of warfare, changing military priorities, and the increasing importance of joint-force coordination across different branches of the armed forces.
Emerging technologies and their impact on national security will form a central theme of discussions. As Aditya Khandegar, media and publicity manager at Techfest 2025, emphasized: "Together these four national leaders bring decades of battlefield experience, strategic foresight, and operational excellence that have shaped India's defence posture and geopolitical readiness."
Beyond the Symposium: Techfest 2025 Highlights
While the Defence Symposium 2.0 serves as the centerpiece of this year's Techfest, the event offers much more for technology enthusiasts. The festival, recognized as Asia's largest science and technology celebration, will feature numerous engaging activities.
Participants can look forward to specialized workshops covering cutting-edge topics including artificial intelligence, prompt engineering, and algorithmic trading. Competitive events will include popular hackathons and robot-wars, while the Innovation Challenge will task participants with developing technological solutions for real-world problems.
The integration of high-level military discourse within an academic technology festival underscores the growing importance of collaboration between defence establishments and educational institutions in addressing contemporary security challenges.
