THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 20, 2026
The future of Indian engineering took centre stage at Anveshana – Science
& Engineering Fair 2025–26, hosted at Centurion University on February 18
and 19, where 40 finalist teams from 17 engineering colleges across Odisha,
Jharkhand, Assam and Meghalaya presented innovative, real-world solutions
spanning agriculture, renewable energy and grassroots technologies.
Organised by Agastya International Foundation in collaboration with
Synopsys, the fair drew from an initial pool of 255 registered ideas, with the
top teams advancing to Bhubaneswar after a rigorous screening process. The
finalists demonstrated working models before a jury of industry experts and
academicians, reflecting a strong emphasis on hands-on, practice-oriented
learning.
The event was inaugurated by a distinguished panel that included Sasmita
Sahu, Joint Director, MIS-OSEPA; Sailadhirajatanaya Satpathy, Joint Director –
TTP, OSEPA, Education Department, Odisha; Dr. Soumya Prakash Dash, Associate
Professor, IIT Bhubaneswar; Dr. Suvendu Kumar Jayasingh, Associate Professor,
IMIT Cuttack; Dr. Supriya Pattanayk, Vice-Chancellor, Centurion University; Dr.
Subhransu Ranjan Samantray, Chairperson, IEEE Bhubaneswar; Dr. Sujata Chakravarty,
Dean, School of Engineering & Technology, Centurion University; Ashutosh
Mohanty, Senior Staff Engineer, Synopsys; and Ramesh Singh, Regional Experience
Leader, Agastya International Foundation.
A key highlight of the opening ceremony was the launch of the book “100
Times Curious,” aimed at nurturing inquiry-driven learning among young students
and strengthening the culture of scientific questioning.
Dr. Supriya Pattanayk, Vice-Chancellor, Centurion University, said,
“Hosting Anveshana at University aligns perfectly with our mission of hands-on,
practice-oriented education. Seeing students from four different states
converge here to solve real-world problems — from agriculture to renewable
energy — proves that the spirit of 'Learning by Doing' is thriving. We are
proud to partner with Agastya and Synopsys to nurture these young minds who are
the architects of India's technological future.”
“Anveshana provides a dynamic
platform where creativity meets technical acumen,” said Shrishail Dhanawade,
General Manager – Program, Agastya International Foundation. “By bridging the
gap between school-level curiosity and college-level engineering, we are
witnessing the birth of the next generation of Indian tech leaders.”
The two-day fair concluded with a valedictory ceremony in which more than ₹1 lakh in cash prizes were awarded to top innovations. The first prize went to GramAI – From Tractor to Technician by Bhubaneswar Engineering College, followed by Farmer Helper from Gandhi Institute for Technology, Bhubaneswar, while the third prize was awarded to Production of Bioethanol from Water Hyacinth by Bineswar Brahma Engineering College, Assam.
Dignitaries including Kapil Jain, Project Coordinator, Regional Science Centre, Government of India; Dr. Biswajit Mishra, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Centurion University; Sefali Panda, Staff Engineer, Synopsys; Sonali Padhi, Manager, Synopsys; Alok Dwivedi, Program Leadership Team, Agastya; Dr. Soumya Prakash Dash, IIT Bhubaneswar; and Dr. Suvendu Kumar Jayasingh, IMIT Cuttack, commended the participants for their research orientation and focus on socially relevant technological solutions.
