IITGN Hosts the 15th Edition of ‘Amalthea’:  India’s First Student Run Technical Summit

It is impossible to imagine our lives without technology today. From the tiny chips that run our phones to the gigantic buildings that manufacture them, we are surrounded by technology everywhere. It becomes all the more important especially with respect to the recent proliferation of artificial intelligence, which has come to dominate most aspects of the contemporary world. Celebrating its omnipresence, the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar is hosting the 15th edition of ‘Amalthea’ – India’s first student-run Technical Summit, on November 9 & 10, 2024. Apart from an exciting Tech Expo, which brings together exhibitors from ISRO, Indian Army, Dronelab Technologies etc., this year’s initiative also features an exclusive automotive exhibition, showcasing the latest innovations of brands like Harley-Davidson, BMW and Ducati, among several others.

The two-day event commenced on with an address by the Chief Guest, Mr Nilesh Desai, Director, Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad at the Jibaben Patel Memorial Auditorium, IITGN. In his inspiring speech, he charted out a brief history of ISRO, shedding light on the remarkable contributions of figures like Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Addressing an audience that majorly comprised of students, Mr Desai focussed on the inevitability of failures, and their significance in making us better, both personally and professionally. “Don’t be afraid of failures. Learn from them.” he said. His words set the tone for an engaging panel discussion on ‘Breakthrough In Semiconductors And Industry Transformation’ where Pradeep Kothari, Director, ASIC Design, Western Digital, Anshul Jain, Principal Engineer, Formal Verification Architect, Intel, Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator, R&D, Ministry of Electronics and IT, and Neel Gala, CTO/Co-Founder, InCore Semiconductors reflected upon the crucial functionality of Semiconductors and their indispensable role in enhancing modern life. While all the speakers noted the transformative impact of semiconductors in various industries, Mr Jain and Mr Gala specifically highlighted the value of contributing towards it in the contemporary scenario. “If you want to do something on semiconductors, do it now!” remarked Mr Gala. 

The symposium was followed by a conclave where Abhishek Desai, Founder of CricHeroes, Vishvajit Songara, Founder of Quicko and Sandbox, Nikhil Methiya, Director of Dronelab, Prashant Mamtora, Co-founder of Havi.co and Hemen Ashodia, Co-Founder of F(x) Data Labs spoke about the inspiring stories of tech startups from Gujarat. Through their own journeys, the speakers highlighted the struggles, strength, and possibilities of making a career out of this, while simultaneously foregrounding the immense satisfaction they provide.