Hyderabad: Principal scientific advisor to the Govt of India, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, on Saturday urged graduating students to focus not just on innovation but also on ensuring that its benefits reach every section of society. Addressing the 25th convocation of the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) virtually on Saturday, he said the next generation must become custodians of responsible innovation and use technology to solve real-world problems.A total of 526 students graduated this year, including 166 undergraduate, 303 postgraduate and 57 MSIT students. The graduating batch comprised 95 BTech, 71 BTech (Honours), 101 dual-degree, 47 MS by Research, 137 MTech, 18 PhD and 57 MSIT graduates.From its first convocation in 2002, when 49 students graduated, IIIT-H has grown to 2,524 students, 114 faculty members and an alumni network of over 8,200 graduates. Chairman of the governing council, Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, said nearly one-third of this year’s graduating students were women. He described IIIT-H as a research-driven institution committed to developing technologies that address real-world challenges.Director Prof Sandeep Shukla said more than 31% of this year’s graduates earned degrees based on thesis work. He added that the institute continues to combine research, innovation and societal relevance while nurturing future technology leaders. Maddireddy Kritin (BTech CSE) received the IIIT-Hyderabad gold medal for academic excellence, while Abhinav Digambar Raundhal (BTech CSE) received the best all-rounder award.During the academic year, 119 companies registered for placements, of which 59 made offers. Since 2025, IIIT-H researchers have produced 371 scholarly publications and intellectual property outputs, including 22 patents, 265 conference papers and 101 journal articles. The institute also secured over 55 sponsored research projects, while faculty members received research grants from Adobe, Google, Qualcomm and Amazon Development Centre. Its executive education programmes have trained over 4,500 professionals over the past eight years, while alumni and corporate partners, including AT&T and CGI, continue to support students through scholarships and financial assistance.
