A university is, at its heart, a wager on the

future. It asks for the courage to believe that

the world can be better, and that the young

people we teach will make it so.

At Plaksha, we placed such a wager. We

imagined a university where technology is

not an end in itself, but a way to think, to

question, and to act. Four years ago, this was

only a blueprint and a promise. With our ﬁrst

batch graduating, the idea has become visible

in their work, their character, and their ambi-

tions.

The journey we design for our students is

deliberate. It begins with a fresh start, where

old measures of success fall away. It asks

NEWSLETTER

them to explore before they choose, to

collaborate before they compete, to hold

depth in one hand and breadth in the other.

It invites them to learn by building, by engag-

ing with research, by starting companies, by

reaching beyond our campus to the world.

None of this happens without the faculty who

guide students to traverse paths less trav-

elled, or without the quiet, persistent work of

building a university that dares to reimagine

the future.

I have watched these young people stretch.

They have taken risks, changed their minds,

failed, and begun again. They have learned

that the future is not given to them; it is

shaped by them.

The pages of this newsletter carry the under-

graduate four-year journey at Plaksha. They

show how a new kind of engineer – rooted in

India, global in outlook, bold enough to

imagine solutions where others see walls – is

nurtured.

We are reimagining what a university can

be, and what it must be, for the world that

is coming.

JAN 15 - DEC 15, 2025

VOL 03 - IS SUE 02

Prof Rudra Pratap

Founding Vice Chancellor

Plaksha University

Christened ‘1729', after Ramanujan - Hardy number,

the Plaksha newsletter is a window into our thriving,

interconnected and learner centered environment

where Plakshans look beyond the obvious, just like

Srinivas Ramanujan did with the seemingly dull

number ‘1729'.

Through this newsletter we share the contribution of

each member of our vibrant community of learners,

researchers, leaders, innovators and problem

solvers to reimagine technology education.

LEARNING REIMAGINED

THE UNDERGRADUATE JOURNEY AT PLAKSHA

Admissions at Plaksha are not just about

selecting students – they are about shaping a

vibrant, mission-driven community. Crafting

the class is the ﬁrst and most vital step we take

each year. It is both a privilege and a

responsibility to build a learning ecosystem

that is inclusive, bold and future-ready.

We believe that students’ potential cannot be

measured by marks alone. That is why our

admissions process looks beyond traditional

criteria and standardized tests. We seek

students who are academically strong, but also

curious, bold and committed to creating

impact in the real world. Students who think

diﬀerently, challenge the status quo, and bring

diverse perspectives to the table, help shape

our learning community. This philosophy has

helped us build cohorts that are as dynamic as

they are diverse.

Our students come from across India and the

world, representing a rich tapestry of

backgrounds, experiences and aspirations.

From young changemakers and tech tinkerers

to artists, entrepreneurs and community

leaders – each student adds a unique voice to

the Plaksha story. By moving away from a one-

size-ﬁts-all approach, we are able to uncover

hidden potential and foster a culture of

collaboration, empathy and innovation.

The result is a class that is not only

academically strong but also deeply aligned

with our vision of building a better future

through technology and leadership.

Kanchi Khanna

Senior Director, Admissions

Plaksha University

0202

Joining Plaksha: A class crafted with intention

Building a diverse, mission-driven cohort that will reimagine technology

education.

14.8%

First generation

learners

59%

From tier

2/3/4 towns

BTech students on

scholarship & ﬁnancial aid

32%

Women

students

69%

*Across all BTech cohorts as of Oct ’25

Mindset | Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

The Freshmore curriculum at Plaksha is a

carefully designed three-semester foundation

that integrates breadth with rigor. It postpones

early specialization and equips every student

with intellectual agility, critical thinking and the

ability to work across disciplines. Students ﬁrst

acquire strong fundamentals across sciences,

mathematics, computation and humanities

while also experiencing design, innovation

and real-world problem solving.

In the sciences, courses such as Foundations

of Physical World build quantitative reasoning

by linking mechanics, thermodynamics, and

modern physics to engineering applications.

Nature's Machines treats biology as a design

template, exploring physiology, biomimicry,

and cellular systems through laboratory

engagement.

Equally rigorous are the mathematics and

computation oﬀerings, which establish

essential ﬂuency in calculus, statistics, linear

algebra, programming, and data structures.

Complementing these are courses like

Fundamentals of Economics, which introduce

analytical models of markets, incentives and

decision-making, and Design and Innovation,

which cultivates creativity and systematic

problem-solving through design thinking.

Humanities courses such as Integrated

Communication for Engineering and

Reimagining Technology and Society add

depth by focusing on eﬀective communication,

ethical reasoning and societal contexts

of technology.

The curriculum also emphasizes holistic

development through one-credit modules:

Yoga and Sports for physical well-being,

Universal Human Values for reﬂective growth,

and Introduction to the World of AI for an early

appreciation of emerging technologies.

Together, these courses ensure that students

not only gain technical literacy but also social

awareness, self-discipline and a mindset of

lifelong learning.

Dr Shashikant Pawar

Assistant Professor

Plaksha University

Rigorous fundamentals across disciplines, with hands-on design and

research from day one.

The ﬁrst three semesters: Building foundations

before choosing a major

Pedagogically, Freshmore stresses problem-

based learning, laboratories and project work,

culminating in Innovation and Grand Challenge

(ILGC) Studio where interdisciplinary teams

address open-ended societal problems

through prototyping and iteration.

Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

Enabling students to choose

Kaustubh Singh (BTech Class of 2025) recalls

Freshmore as ‘intriguing and comforting’

with projects on wind turbines and robot

localization sharpening both technical skills

and collaborative problem-solving.

Jia Bhargava (BTech Class of 2026) credits

Freshmore for her transition from computer

science to robotics, as rigorous mathematics

and hands-on Intelligent Machines projects

clariﬁed her academic path.

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

At Plaksha, students do not choose a major

on day one – they grow into it. This is

intentional. We believe that the complex

problems of the 21st century cannot be solved

from within the narrow silos of 20th-century

education. And today, that belief is no longer

just an idea – it is something we see reﬂected

in our students’ journeys.

It starts with freedom. For the ﬁrst three

semesters, students are encouraged to explore

and stay curious. The curriculum is designed to

give them time, space and perspective before

choosing a major. During this phase, every

student builds a strong foundation:

challenging courses in math, computing,

design and the humanities. Alongside this,

they get hands-on exposure to all four majors

– Biological Systems Engineering (BSE),

Computer Science & Artiﬁcial Intelligence

(CSAI), Data Science, Economics & Business

(DSEB) and Robotics & Autonomous Systems

(RAS). This mix of breadth and depth means

that when it is time to decide, students do so

with clarity and conﬁdence.

Choosing a major at Plaksha is not about

picking a label. It is about aligning with a

purpose and building the mindset to take

on real-world challenges. Students are not

just thinking about what job they will get;

they are asking what kind of future they want

to help shape.

That is why our majors do not look like

traditional programs. They are future-oriented

and interdisciplinary, combining technical rigor

with systems thinking, design and ethical

context. They are ﬂexible and evolving – built to

respond to the pace of change around us. Here,

students do not just study AI, they learn to

design responsible, human-centered systems

(CSAI) that drive impact in policy, health and

society (DSEB). They go beyond code to connect

data with ethical decision-making, economic

thinking and real-world complexity. In RAS, they

design intelligent robots and autonomous

systems that navigate uncertainty and serve

human needs safely. In BSE, biology becomes a

toolkit – they engineer diagnostics, model

epidemics and prototype health and

sustainability solutions. Each major blends

technical depth with purpose, preparing

students to solve problems that do not yet

have a playbook.

And it is not just what we teach, but how we

teach. Learning at Plaksha is hands-on and

active, with real industry problems, collaborative

labs and a strong push toward innovation.

The result – graduates who are not only job-

ready, but ready to lead, to build and to make a

diﬀerence in areas the world is still ﬁguring out.

Dr Monika Sharma

Program Chair, Biological Systems Engineering

Associate Professor

Plaksha University

A deﬁning choice: Selecting a major after

eighteen months of exploration

Students select from future-oriented, interdisciplinary programs aligned

with purpose, not just placement.

Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Now that students have chosen a major,

electives and minors can support exploration

of students in areas and sources of knowledge

diﬀerent from their major’s core courses.

Program electives can be employed in one of

two ways.

First, students can deepen their knowledge of

a core area. For example, in the DSEB degree

an elective course on Applied Econometrics

can deepen the knowledge of students in

Econometrics by applying theoretical concepts

of unbiasedness, consistency and causality to

the real-world empirical evidence from

published papers. Econometrics is a ﬁfth

semester core course that is a pre-requisite

for students to take the Applied Econometrics

course in the seventh semester. Similarly,

students can take Financial Econometrics in

their seventh semester if they have taken a

Time Series course in their sixth semester.

Many of the program electives can be taken in

their fourth semester, such as Environmental

Economics. However, the seventh semester

aﬀords the most room for taking electives for

students since there are no core courses that

are oﬀered after the sixth semester.

Second, students can take program electives to

satisfy their innate curiosity about a particular

subject. I have found a lot of joy teaching

students the program elective – Personnel

Economics. This course deals with the

economics of organizations and personnel

management. It is a technical introduction to

the world of business administration, human

resources and how employers should think

rationally about wage-setting, how many

employees to hire, whom to hire (level of

skills), and the processes to set up to manage

human resources (policies around training,

talent assessment, evaluation, promotion and

attrition). The students then work in groups to

carry out a research project either analyzing an

existing ‘workplace’ data set or building their

own from scratch. Many students who took

the elective wanted to explore without

deepening their knowledge of data science or

economics. Such a course is helpful in

business settings while working as a people

manager in human resources organizations, or

when setting up one’s own ﬁrm.

Minors let students experiment with adjacent

ﬁelds or entirely diﬀerent lenses – like a CSAI

major exploring the strategic aspects of

innovation, marketing and ﬁnance through a

Minor in Entrepreneurship. A student in the

entrepreneurship minor may discover a passion

for product-market ﬁt, taking courses, such as,

Design Thinking for Entrepreneurs, Technology

Product Development and Startup Market Lab,

to prototype an app, pitch to judges, and take it

to market with industry mentors many including

Plaksha founders. The Entrepreneurship minor

also exposes our students to faculty from UC

Berkeley, helping them attain a global perspective.

Thus, electives and minors oﬀer students a

powerful way to deepen understanding, satisfy

curiosity and connect classroom learning to real-

world challenges.

Program Chair, Data Science, Economics & Business

Chair Professor of Economics

Plaksha University

Prof Prakarsh Singh

Students either specialize further in their domain or venture into adjacent

ﬁelds like entrepreneurship and design.

Years two through four: Deepening and

broadening through electives and minors

Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Throughout HTI, students gather and analyze

their own data, building conﬁdence in turning

research into prototypes that address real-

world challenges, and often extending them to

publish at reputed conferences. For example,

the project ‘AdaptAI’ built an emotional

recognition platform to provide mental health

nudges for information workers under stress,

while another studied strategies to mitigate the

impact of short-form digital content on our

memory recall. Paired with complementary

electives and minors, it gives students the

vision and tools to shape a world where

humans and technology thrive side by side.

Electives that expand possibilities

The Human Technology Interaction (HTI)

elective – often chosen by senior-year

undergraduate students – with hands-on

machine learning and design thinking

experience bridges the growing gap between

humans and the technology woven into our

daily lives.

In the ﬁrst course module, students

explore ‘Human Factors’ and ‘Ergonomics’,

analyzing how posture, movement and

sensory limitations shape our technology

experiences. They examine daily pain

points, like poorly designed alerts or

uncomfortable workspaces, and learn to

create solutions that support physical and

cognitive well-being.

The second module introduces ‘Aﬀective

Computing’, where students study how

biosignals – heart-rate variability, facial

expressions and pupil dilation – reveal our

mental and emotional states. With this,

students learn to adapt technological

systems so that they can respond in

more humanlike ways.

In the ﬁnal module, HTI challenges

students to rethink ‘Human-AI Interaction’.

How can AI boost our productivity,

creativity and ﬁtness in authentic ways? By

responding to how we feel while we

navigate our daily tasks, AI becomes a

quiet companion, oﬀering gentle nudges

at just the right moment.

Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

While traditional engineering courses focus on building more

technical systems, HTI ﬂips the lens, asking: ‘How can technology

better understand, support, and adapt to us?’

“

Dr Siddharth

Assistant Professor, Plaksha University

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

The quote by Malcolm Forbes, “Diversity: The

art of thinking independently together”

beautifully captures the essence of

interdisciplinarity in education. At Plaksha,

students are encouraged to think across

disciplines from day one, not only through

their coursework but also through early and

immersive research experiences.

Interdisciplinarity is a core pillar at Plaksha,

clearly reﬂected in the curriculum, lab

infrastructure and research centers. This

emphasis on cross-domain learning nurtures

a research mindset by prompting students to

connect concepts across diﬀerent subjects

and specializations.

Students get their ﬁrst structured experience

in research through the ILGC course, where

they select a real-world problem they care

about and work through the entire research

cycle – understanding the context, designing a

solution, prototyping it and validating it. ILGC

runs from the ﬁrst through the sixth semester

and exposes students to academic research

practices, including literature reviews,

hypothesis formulation, iterative testing, and

ﬁeld validation. An equally valuable aspect of

ILGC is the early exposure to mentor-mentee

relationships, which play a key role in shaping

a research journey. Many students have

extended their ILGC projects into publishable

research or used them as a springboard for

competing at international forums.

Plaksha’s coursework design further fuels

undergraduate research. Course projects oﬀer

hands-on opportunities for deep dives into

emerging ﬁelds, and in many cases, students

have pursued these projects over multiple

semesters, leading to research papers at

national and international conferences. These

early experiences help students build the

persistence, curiosity and discipline required

for academic inquiry. Several students have

gone on to excel at prestigious research

internships, both in India and abroad.

Plaksha’s approach to fostering research is not

an add-on – it is woven into the fabric of its

pedagogy. By creating a culture where

exploration, experimentation and

collaboration thrive, the university is shaping

future researchers who are bold, curious and

driven to solve meaningful problems.

Dr Sandeep Manjanna

Assistant Professor

Plaksha University

Through ILGC projects, course work, and faculty mentorship, students

engage in publishable research early.

Semester one onwards: Cultivating

a research mindset

Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

The entrepreneurial journey at Plaksha is not

a side path, it is a deﬁning milestone in every

student’s experience.

From day one, students are encouraged

to think like builders. Through hands-on

coursework, exposure to real-world challenges,

and interdisciplinary collaboration, they

begin to see problems as opportunities and

ideas as starting points. This mindset to

experiment, take initiative, and persist through

uncertainty is seeded early and grows steadily

over the four years.

The InfoEdge Center for Entrepreneurship

(CfE) plays a central role in nurturing these

journeys. It brings together mentors, startup

grants, immersive programs, and student-led

platforms like the E-Cell and Aeternum

E-Summit, which spark curiosity and build

conﬁdence. The Center’s approach is not

about producing entrepreneurs on demand

but about cultivating the habits of

entrepreneurial thinking across tech, design,

research and social impact.

Students have been slowly and steadily making

a mark. Marbles Health, started by two Plaksha

alumni, developed a brain-stimulation device

and got an opportunity to present it to the

Prime Minister, and received seed funding

from investors like Whiteboard Capital and

Capital 2B. In addition, two ventures by

undergraduate students, Pinewheel Labs and

Thinklude reﬂect technical depth as well as a

desire to make a diﬀerence. While the former

is gaining national recognition in cybersecurity,

the latter is transforming how young learners

engage with science and tech.

Our grant-giving capacity, supporting faculty

ventures, and forming partnerships expose

students to the startup world beyond campus.

It encourages students to tinker in labs, test

ideas in the real world, and connect their

classroom learning with bold, creative action.

We want every student to cross this milestone

with the conﬁdence that they can imagine,

create and lead.

Entrepreneurship at Plaksha is a way of

thinking, a way of learning, and for many, a

way of becoming.

Chief Human Resources Oﬃcer

Plaksha University

Nimrata Kapoor

Throughout four years: Building an

entrepreneurial mindset

From ideation workshops to funded ventures, students learn to build,

prototype and lead.

Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Student wellbeing – mental, emotional and

physical – is an integral part of the student

journey. It begins as students initiate their

academic journey, with a three-week orientation

program designed to help them settle in, make

friends and feel at home. This immersive

experience runs alongside classes and includes

community-building activities, mentorship

sessions and campus explorations that ease the

transition and foster early connections.

The curated cohort model ensures that

students enter a supportive peer network

from day one, promoting collaboration,

empathy and a strong sense of belonging

both inside and outside the classroom.

Our 25 student-led clubs, ranging from music

and dance to robotics, sustainability and debate,

provide vibrant platforms for students to pursue

their passions and develop leadership skills.

Signature events like Fitoor (cultural fest),

Eklavya (sports fest), and HackPlaksha (annual

hackathon) are completely student-driven and

bring together the entire community in

celebration of creativity, innovation and

teamwork.

To further student growth and wellbeing, a

series of Life Skills courses equip students with

practical tools for personal and interpersonal

success. Each course is experiential and

designed to build self-awareness, emotional

intelligence, and healthy habits for long-term

success.

Sessions led by mental health professionals

focus on understanding stress, managing

emotions and building help-seeking behavior.

They also introduce students to the value of

counseling and the support systems available

to them on campus.

Through collective eﬀorts by faculty, staﬀ and

students, the campus culture is rooted in care,

connection and purpose – where every student

is empowered to thrive holistically.

Karan Singh

Associate Director, Student Life

Plaksha University

Through clubs, festivals, life-skills courses and peer networks, students

develop leadership and emotional intelligence

Beyond the classroom: Becoming conﬁdent,

self-aware individuals

Wellbeing follows a two-pronged approach

that holds building preventive skills to be as

important as corrective interventions. The

journey begins right from student

orientation, through a discussion about

transitions – what they hope for, fear and

how change feels. This forms the base for

ongoing self-reﬂection.

Dr Shalini Sharma

Counselling Psychologist & Therapist

Plaksha University

Entrepreneurship Mindset | Beyond Plaksha | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Students are prepared not only for their ﬁrst job

but for lifelong career growth.

The interdisciplinary curriculum with a strong

focus on experiential learning teaches students

to be innovative, creative, collaborative and

entrepreneurial, and helps develop in them a

mindset for problem solving and critical

thinking. During their four years at Plaksha,

students work on projects on real-world

problem statements, do short-term and long-

term internships, work in teams, meet industry

leaders and domain experts in curated

masterclasses and guest sessions. These factors

all contribute to their being industry-ready.

Apart from technical skills, students are taught

personality development skills, such as the art

of eﬀective communication, networking and

the ability to project an executive presence.

Final year students are assigned mentors

who are alumni or industry professionals.

Mentors become the ‘friend, philosopher,

guide’ to students, providing valued career

advice and tailored support which enables their

young minds to grow in conﬁdence and decide

on career choices.

We believe that holistic development along with

lessons learnt in the classroom enables our

students to better plan their transition from

academic environment to industry and navigate

their way eﬀectively in a workplace which is

seeing disruptions led by the adoption of

generative AI. We have students across

diﬀerent majors moving away from traditional

jobs which were associated with an engineering

education like software development or coding

to roles such as AI-ML engineers, data

scientists, data analysts, market analysts,

investment associates, consultants, strategy,

founder’s oﬃce, etc. A strong entrepreneurial

mindset is evident in several students who

choose working with early-stage startups or on

their own business ideas over a career in

established legacy companies.

Students are supported by The Oﬃce of

Corporate Partnerships and Careers at Plaksha.

Each student’s skillsets and career aspirations

are understood and they are guided on their

career choices. The student’s association does

not end with stellar career outcomes in

diﬀerent spheres such as corporate roles,

research, higher education or entrepreneurial

ventures. They continue to contribute as

alumni.

Srabani Ghosh

Director, Oﬃce of Corporate Partnerships & Careers

Plaksha University

Mentorship, industry engagement and career guidance prepare graduates

for diverse pathways – corporate, research, entrepreneurship or higher

education

Beyond Plaksha: Preparing for a life of impact

Entrepreneurship Mindset | Beyond the Classroom | ConfAI 2025

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

Plaksha’s Founding Class of 2025 graduated on August 9, putting on their caps and glistening blue

garments as a testimony to their passion to innovate and countless hours of learning and hard work.

Graduates have secured research positions in top global academic institutions, in promising industry

roles, and the entrepreneurial road. At this landmark event for the university, Dr V Narayanan,

Chairman, ISRO & Secretary, Department of Space, was the convocation speaker and the chief guest.

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Entrepreneurship Mindset | Beyond the Classroom | Beyond Plaksha

If AI researchers in India are to create lasting

research impact, it must be grounded in the

realities it seeks to serve. A central insight that

emerged repeatedly at ConfAI 2025 was the

urgent need to focus on creating and using

Indian datasets. In most real-world

applications, datasets developed in the US and

Europe (and made publicly available) have

limited relevance for Indian contexts.

This was one of the key takeaways at ConfAI

2025, held successfully November 28-30 at the

Plaksha campus in Mohali, under the theme

'Conversations that shape AI futures'. This 3-

day academic conference brought together 11

eminent speakers from academia, industry

and government, alongside high-quality

student presentations and posters based on

work accepted at leading international AI

conferences.

Several talks reinforced the importance of

trust, fairness and reasoning as core

challenges in AI systems. Dr Venkat

Padmanabhan (Microsoft Research India (MRI))

set the tone by going beyond AI to deﬁne what

would constitute impactful research. He

presented examples from decades of work at

MRI. Dr Mausam (IIT Delhi) focused on

reasoning, while Dr Richa Singh (IIT Jodhpur)

highlighted examples of bias in AI inference.

Dr Sunita Sarawagi (IIT Bombay) discussed

advances in structured learning, and Dr Mayur

Naik (UPenn) introduced neuro-symbolic AI as

a promising pathway to support reasoning in

AI tools.

The second major insight was on small,

application-speciﬁc models that can be

deployed on edge devices - mobiles,

wearables, and low-cost hardware, rather than

large, resource-intensive systems. These

models can be trained on Indian datasets and

made capable of communicating in Indian

languages. Such systems can create impact in

research as well as startup-led innovation.

Concerns around eﬃciency and sustainability

surfaced across multiple sessions. Dr Mayank

Vatsa (IIT Jodhpur) talked about eﬃcient

unlearning, while Dr Niket Tandon (MRI)

addressed memory eﬃciency. Dr CV Jawahar

(IIIT Hyderabad) advocated for the creation of

Indian datasets and associated solutions, while

Dr Renu Rameshan (Vehant Technologies)

described the practical challenges of deploying

AI systems in the ﬁeld. Debjani Ghosh (NITI

Aayog) outlined ongoing government

initiatives and articulated her views on areas

where India must focus its eﬀorts.

A third takeaway that emerged was on the

need to be extremely innovative if one is

pursuing mainstream AI research, particularly

Large Language Models (LLMs) as the resource

gap between academia and industry is

substantial. This theme surfaced during the

panel discussion 'Beyond the Hype: Core

Challenges in AI Research,' featuring Dr

Mausam, Dr Sarawagi, and Dr Jawahar,

moderated by Dr Siddharth. The conversation

generated both light and heat.

The conference concluded with a reﬂective

keynote by Dr Rajesh Gupta (UC San Diego),

who traced the historical evolution of technical

education in the US and what needs to change

with AI tools emerging as key learning aids.

Equally encouraging was the quality of student

participation throughout ConfAI 2025. Student

talks were organized into sessions and

reinforcing the promise of a new generation of

engineers and researchers ready to engage

with complex societal challenges.

Shaping India's AI future will require not only

technical excellence, but also contextual

grounding, interdisciplinary thinking, and the

courage to pursue research agendas that

matter.

ConfAI 2025: Conversations that shape

AI future

The 3-day academic conference sparked critical conversations that highlighted

the need for Indian datasets, context-aware models, and innovative academic

research to create meaningful, real-world impact.

Prof M Balakrishnan

Distinguished Visiting Professor

Plaksha University

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

In this edition of 1729, we have reimagined Phulkari, an embroidery art form from

Punjab, known for its intricate craftsmanship. Traditionally created with colorful

threads, ﬂoral and geometric motifs, Phulkari weaves together creativity, storytelling,

and community traditions. This new design celebrates the Indian heritage, integrates

technology, and reﬂects our vision of fostering innovation.

*as of Oct 2025

Full-time

Faculty

600+

Student

Body

184

Executives

& Teaching

Fellows

Research

Fellows

Visiting

Faculty

330+

Alumni

Plaksha University

Alpha, Sector 101, IT City Road, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab 140306

Collaborate with Plaksha: We are keen to collaborate with faculty

members and researchers from both within and outside Plaksha to

leverage our collective expertise and push the boundaries of knowl-

edge.

Virtual tour: Explore the vibrant campus of Plaksha from the comfort

of your homes. Take a virtual tour to see our state-of-the-art facilities

and collaborative learning spaces.

T H E U N D E R G R A D U AT E J O U R N E Y AT P L A K S H A

The third edition of the Conference of Artiﬁcial Intelligence, ConfAI 2025 (November 28-30), at the

Plaksha campus in Mohali was an academic conference that brought together eminent speakers from

academia, industry and government. The panel discussion ‘Beyond the Hype: Core Challenges in AI

Research,’ featured Dr Mausam (IIT Delhi), Dr Sunita Sarawagi (IIT Bombay) and Dr CV Jawahar (IIIT

Hyderabad). The panel was moderated by Dr Siddharth (Plaksha University). The conversation

underscored the tensions between ambition, feasibility and impact of pursuing mainstream AI research.