June 29, 2026 | The June 2026 edition of the TechForward Research Seminar Series marked a special milestone as HYSEA celebrated two years of TechForward – an initiative that has steadily brought academia, industry, startups, and researchers together to explore emerging technologies and strengthen collaboration across Hyderabad’s technology ecosystem.
When TechForward was launched two years ago, it began with a simple objective: to bridge the long-standing gap between academia and industry. Rather than creating another conference, the idea was to build a platform where researchers and technology leaders could openly exchange ideas, learn from one another, and create opportunities for meaningful collaboration. Nearly 20 editions later, with sessions hosted across member organisations and institutions and participation from more than 20 organisations, that vision continues to grow stronger.
Welcoming the audience, Prof. Ramesh Loganathan and Flt Lt Bipin Chandra Dutt Pendyala, President, HYSEA, reflected on TechForward’s journey over the past two years. They spoke about how the technology landscape continues to evolve rapidly, making collaboration between academia and industry more important than ever. While celebrating the progress made so far, they also outlined the focus for the next phase of TechForward – moving beyond conversations to build stronger partnerships, encourage collaborative research, and create outcomes that deliver real value.
The event opened with the Advisory Council Panel, “TechForward: Year So Far,” moderated by Dr. Deva Kumar U (IIIT Hyderabad), featuring Aditya Rao (ServiceNow), Sai Gumma (JPMorgan Chase & Co.), and Maneesh Sehgal (DBS Tech India). Looking back at TechForward’s evolution, the panel reflected on how Hyderabad is well positioned to grow as an innovation-led ecosystem by strengthening collaboration between industry, academia, and startups. The discussion highlighted the importance of engaging academia early, defining real-world problem statements, encouraging experimentation, and creating partnerships that move beyond discussion to measurable outcomes.
The focus then shifted to the role of research in driving innovation through a keynote address by Dr. Rajesh Dhuddu, Partner – Emerging Technologies, PwC India, titled “The Inflection Point: Does Industry Need Research?” Drawing from his doctoral research on Generative AI, he demonstrated how evidence-based research helps organisations distinguish genuine business value from technology hype. As emerging technologies continue to evolve, he emphasised that organisations that embed research into their innovation strategy will be better equipped to validate ideas, accelerate commercialisation, and create long-term competitive advantage.
Building on this theme, the Academic Leaders Panel on “Research-led Innovation Opportunities for the Tech Industry,” moderated by Prof. P. J. Narayanan (IIIT Hyderabad), brought together Prof. B. S. Murty (IIT Hyderabad), Prof. Bhagwan Chowdhry (Indian School of Business), and Prof. Sandeep Shukla (IIT Hyderabad). The discussion explored how stronger partnerships between academia and industry can transform research into products, technologies, and real-world solutions. The panel also highlighted successful models of collaboration, including industry-sponsored research, interdisciplinary projects, product-focused innovation, internships, and problem statements driven by industry needs, reinforcing that collaboration is essential to preparing the next generation of innovators.
The industry perspective came through in the session “Reimagining Dev Teams: New Mindsets × Agentic Tools,” moderated by Flt Lt Bipin Chandra Dutt Pendyala, featuring Shashi Reddy (Qualcomm), Subba Perepa (Charles Schwab), and Sumeet Mathur (ServiceNow). The panel explored how Agentic AI is reshaping software engineering and enterprise technology, with developers increasingly moving beyond writing code to designing systems, governing AI, solving business problems, and creating enterprise value. The discussion reinforced that organisations will gain the greatest advantage not simply by adopting AI tools, but by reimagining how engineering teams learn, collaborate, and innovate.
A special highlight of the celebration was the launch of TechForward Research Seminar Series: Bridging Research & Industry, a commemorative publication that captures the journey of TechForward over the past two years. The book brings together the ideas, discussions, and insights that have shaped the series and reflects its ongoing commitment to strengthening the connection between research and industry.
The second anniversary was more than a celebration of what TechForward has achieved. It was an opportunity to reflect on how far the initiative has come, recognise the community that has helped shape it, and look ahead to the next chapter. As TechForward enters its third year, its mission remains the same – to create a platform where conversations lead to collaboration, research translates into real-world impact, and academia and industry work together to solve tomorrow’s challenges.
