Invent in India

Inaugural Address · Pondicherry Innovation Festival 2026

Arunachalam Muruganantham

Social Entrepreneur · Innovator · Padma Shri Awardee

We are honoured to announce that Padma Shri Arunachalam Muruganantham has accepted our invitation to inaugurate the Pondicherry Innovation Festival on 11th July 2026 and deliver the Chief Guest Address. His remarkable journey of innovation, perseverance, and social impact will undoubtedly inspire our delegates and innovators as we celebrate creativity, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. We look forward to welcoming him to Pondicherry!

Brij Kothari

Indian academic and social entrepreneur

Brij Kothari is an education innovator, social entrepreneur, and academic leading the Billion Readers (BIRD) initiative with the vision of “Everyone, a fluent reader.” His pioneering concept of Same Language Subtitling (SLS) transforms everyday entertainment into a powerful tool for reading literacy, enabling millions to strengthen reading skills simply by watching television and films. An alumnus of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE), a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and a former faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Brij conceived SLS while pursuing his Ph.D. in Education at Cornell University. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton described SLS as “a small thing that has a staggering impact on people’s lives.” . His efforts helped make SLS India’s national broadcast policy for television in 2019 and for films in 2024. His work has been featured at the World Economic Forum and the Clinton Global Initiative, and has received numerous international honors, including the International Literacy Prize from the Library of Congress.

Dr. Arumugam Murukiah

Chairman Broadino Inc

Arumugam is a technology leader, researcher, entrepreneur, and academic with over 35 years of experience in IT, AI, engineering, and supply chain management. He has held leadership roles at major organizations including L&T, Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM Watson Research Lab, and the World Bank, and later founded Broadline, an IT company focused on AI, governance, logistics, and industrial automation. An IBM Fellow, Arumugam has led several impactful initiatives, including the development of Tamil Nadu’s Health Logistics system, energy and utility reforms in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and the establishment of TANSAM, a leading Industry 4.0 Centre of Excellence. He has also developed patented AI-driven innovations in healthcare, agriculture, food preservation, and industrial automation. Recognized globally for his expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and supply chain management, he has received numerous awards for innovation, technology leadership, and academic excellence.

Dr. A. Balachandran

Director VIT Technology Business Incubator

Dr. A. Balachandran is the Director of the VIT Technology Business Incubator (VIT-TBI) at the VIT Technology Business Incubator⁠. With over two decades of experience in technology commercialization, innovation, and entrepreneurship, he has played a pivotal role in nurturing technology startups across healthcare, biotechnology, medical devices, IoT, and deep-tech sectors. Since the inception of VIT-TBI in 2003, he has mentored numerous entrepreneurs, facilitated access to funding and incubation support, and helped build one of India’s leading university-based startup ecosystems. Under his leadership, VIT-TBI has partnered with government agencies including DST, BIRAC, and MeitY to promote innovation and technology-driven enterprises.

Dr Minitta Regy, MD DNB PGDEI MNAMS

( Panelist )

Medical Consultant, World Health Organization, India

Driven by a commitment to reaching the unreached, Dr. Minitta Regy serves as a Medical Consultant with the Government of India–World Health Organization TB Network, supporting Puducherry and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Her journey across the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research, and the World Health Organization has shaped her passion for equitable healthcare, innovation, and community-driven solutions. Rarely found behind a desk, she believes the most meaningful ideas emerge from the field, where challenges inspire change.

Dr. Kavitha Sairam

Founder - FIB-SOL Life Technologies

Dr. Kavitha Sairam is a first-generation entrepreneur, scientist, and Founder of FIB-SOL Life Technologies and 1000 Farms Agritech. She holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from IIT Madras and a Master's in Clinical Biochemistry from JIPMER. Her work focuses on developing sustainable agricultural solutions through biomolecule encapsulation. She successfully commercialized her first indigenous technology through FIB-SOL Life Technologies, with a portfolio of 49 products currently in the market. She continues to lead research-driven innovations in agricultural biotechnology. Dr. Sairam has received 15+ national and international awards and was recognized by Forbes India as one of the Top 25 Women Trailblazers in 2018.

Brahmanand Mohanty

( Panelist )

Brahmanand Mohanty is an alumnus of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE), Puducherry. He earned his doctorate in Energy from the Institut National Polytechnique, Toulouse, France, in 1985, and subsequently served on the faculty of the Asian Institute of Technology from 1986 to 2020. Since 1991, he has also been Regional Adviser for Asia to the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). An international energy, environment and climate policy expert, he has carried out professional assignments for bilateral and multilateral development agencies in about 25 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean region over more than three decades..

Sivakumar Govindassamy

( Panelist )

Founder & Managing Director - IINVSYS

Sivakumar is the Founder and Managing Director of IINVSYS, a deep-tech company specializing in Al, Industrial IoT, and mission-critical solutions. With over 30 years of leadership experience, he has built 50+ multidisciplinary engineering teams and holds more than 50 patents across sectors like aerospace, defense, and semiconductors. A visionary entrepreneur, he is deeply committed to driving indigenous innovation and technological self-reliance, His mission centers on leveraging engineering excellence and collective intelligence to build sustainable, intelligent solutions for a better future

Professor G Singaiah, Vice Chancellor

( Panelist )

Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya

Prof. G. Singaiah is working in North-East India for the last three decades as an academician with difference towards management education from the preceptive of Indian Knowledge System (IKS). He was Head, Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Indian-Canadian Fellowship holder at two Central University - Tezpur University, Assam and North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya and at present Vice Chancellor of Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya, Assam. He also an expert member in statutory bodies of various Institutions, Universitas and NGO’s. As a part of profession, he is passionately conscious in building balance and brining holistic approach in health, spirituality, application of Indian knowledge and imparting skills at grass root level for sustainable development in our Nation. He believes that we all can consciously construct an enlightened ecosystem where we all can work together with conscious innovation to addressing larger issues like ill-health, dissatisfaction, discontentment and so on. It is to inject the spirit of feeling and doing good at one's own level whatever is possible for fellow members and needy to change society better one.