Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra celebrated its 72nd Foundation Day with remarkable enthusiasm, commemorating more than seven decades of excellence in engineering education, scientific research, innovation, and nation-building. Established on July 15, 1955, the institute has evolved into one of India’s most respected centres for higher education, producing generations of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry leaders. The Foundation Day ceremony served not only as a celebration of BIT Mesra’s distinguished legacy but also as an opportunity to unveil an ambitious vision for the future, centered around cutting-edge technologies that are expected to redefine global industries in the coming decades.
Held at the institute’s sprawling Ranchi campus, the event brought together senior academic leaders, faculty members, alumni, students, industry experts, policymakers, and distinguished guests. The celebration reflected BIT Mesra’s enduring commitment to combining academic excellence with technological innovation while reinforcing its role as a leading institution contributing to India’s knowledge economy.
Distinguished Dignitaries Add Prestige to the Celebration
The Foundation Day ceremony was graced by the Hon’ble Governor of Jharkhand, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, who attended as the Chief Guest. He was joined by Prof. S. Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, and Shri Madan Mohanka, Chairman of Tega Industries, who participated as Guests of Honour. Their presence underscored the growing national recognition of BIT Mesra’s contributions to education, research, and technological advancement.
The event showcased the institute’s achievements over the past 72 years while highlighting its determination to remain at the forefront of emerging technologies. Throughout the ceremony, speakers emphasized the importance of innovation-driven education, collaborative research, and industry partnerships in shaping India’s technological future.
NVIDIA-Powered Centre of Excellence Marks a New Chapter
The most significant announcement of the Foundation Day celebrations was the establishment of an NVIDIA-powered Centre of Excellence, a landmark initiative expected to transform advanced computing and artificial intelligence research in eastern India.
The Centre of Excellence represents one of the most ambitious technology infrastructure projects undertaken by BIT Mesra in recent years. Designed to strengthen the institute’s research ecosystem, the facility will provide researchers, faculty members, students, startups, and industry partners with access to world-class GPU-based computing resources capable of handling highly complex computational tasks.
By investing in advanced computing infrastructure, BIT Mesra is positioning itself among India’s premier institutions capable of supporting next-generation research in artificial intelligence, machine learning, scientific computing, and semiconductor technologies.
State-of-the-Art Infrastructure to Accelerate Advanced Research
The newly announced Centre of Excellence will be equipped with eight high-performance computing systems powered by NVIDIA B200 GPUs, among the world’s most advanced graphics processing units designed specifically for artificial intelligence, deep learning, scientific simulations, and high-performance computing applications.
Unlike conventional computing facilities, the new centre will provide public IP-based remote access to authorized users, allowing researchers and collaborators to utilize its computational capabilities from different locations. This approach significantly expands the reach of the infrastructure beyond the BIT Mesra campus, enabling broader participation from academic institutions, startups, research organizations, and industrial partners.
The facility will support research across a diverse range of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, semiconductor design, VLSI, computational biology, drug discovery, precision agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and other emerging technological domains that increasingly rely on high-performance computing.
Supporting India’s National Technology Missions
The establishment of the Centre of Excellence closely aligns with several strategic national initiatives launched by the Government of India, particularly the IndiaAI Mission and the National Semiconductor Mission.
India has been investing heavily in building indigenous capabilities in artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced computing, and digital innovation. Institutions capable of producing highly skilled researchers and providing sophisticated computing infrastructure are expected to play a crucial role in achieving these national objectives.
By creating such an advanced research facility, BIT Mesra is contributing to India’s efforts to reduce technological dependence, strengthen semiconductor readiness, and build globally competitive expertise in emerging technologies. The initiative also reinforces Jharkhand’s growing role in India’s expanding innovation ecosystem by bringing advanced research infrastructure to eastern India, an area traditionally underserved compared to major metropolitan technology hubs.
Governor Highlights the Institute’s National Contribution
Addressing the gathering, Jharkhand Governor Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar praised BIT Mesra’s remarkable contribution to India’s technological development over the past seven decades. He observed that the institute has consistently maintained high standards of academic excellence while producing graduates who have made significant contributions across industries worldwide.
Speaking about the newly announced Centre of Excellence, the Governor noted that the initiative would create valuable opportunities for students, researchers, and industries not only within Jharkhand but across the country. He emphasized that advanced computing and artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in shaping future economies, and institutions like BIT Mesra must continue preparing highly skilled professionals capable of leading this technological transformation.
Chancellor C.K. Birla Envisions the Next Era of Institution Building
BIT Mesra Chancellor Shri C.K. Birla reflected on the institute’s founding vision and its continued evolution over the last seventy-two years. He remarked that BIT Mesra was established with the objective of serving society through knowledge, discipline, and innovation, values that continue to define the institution today.
Looking toward the future, he described the NVIDIA-powered Centre of Excellence as an important milestone in strengthening the institute’s research capabilities. According to him, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and semiconductor research will shape industries and societies over the coming decades, making it essential for educational institutions to prepare students with the knowledge and infrastructure required for these rapidly evolving domains.
His remarks emphasized that the Foundation Day was not merely a celebration of past achievements but also the beginning of a new phase focused on future-ready education and globally competitive research.
Vice Chancellor Outlines Vision for Collaborative Innovation
Vice Chancellor Prof. Indranil Manna explained how the Centre of Excellence would significantly enhance BIT Mesra’s research capabilities by supporting interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, sciences, management, and applied research.
He noted that modern scientific challenges increasingly require collaboration between academia, industry, startups, and government institutions. The new facility has therefore been designed as a shared technology platform where researchers from multiple disciplines can access advanced computing resources to solve complex scientific and industrial problems.
Prof. Manna highlighted that high-performance computing has become indispensable in modern research, enabling breakthroughs in healthcare, climate science, engineering design, autonomous systems, computational chemistry, and materials science. By making these capabilities widely accessible, BIT Mesra aims to accelerate innovation while strengthening partnerships with industry and national research missions.
Recognising Excellence Among Teachers and Alumni
An important highlight of the Foundation Day celebrations was the recognition of distinguished faculty members and alumni whose achievements have significantly contributed to academia, research, industry, entrepreneurship, and public service.
The Distinguished Teacher Awards 2026 were conferred posthumously upon Prof. G.B. Pant, founder of the Department of Space Engineering and Rocketry, acknowledging his pioneering role in establishing one of India’s earliest academic programs in space technology. The awards were also presented to Prof. Utpal Baul from the Department of Management and Prof. B.N. Das from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering for their outstanding contributions to teaching and research.
The institute also honoured several distinguished alumni across multiple categories, recognizing excellence in corporate leadership, engineering innovation, entrepreneurship, academic research, teaching, and service to society. These recognitions reflected BIT Mesra’s extensive global alumni network, whose members continue to occupy leadership positions across industries, universities, research institutions, and public organizations worldwide.
Young Alumni Showcase the Institute’s Continuing Legacy
The Young Alumnus Awards recognized a new generation of innovators making remarkable contributions to engineering education and scientific research. Dr. Romit Maulik and Dr. Anamitra Pal received honours for excellence in teaching and research, demonstrating how BIT Mesra continues to produce globally competitive researchers contributing to cutting-edge scientific advancements.
The Distinguished Alumna Awards presented to Ms. Smriti Desai and Ms. Sashi Obilisetty highlighted the growing contributions of women graduates in engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship. Their achievements reflect the institute’s continued commitment to promoting diversity, innovation, and leadership across all sectors of science and technology.
Building the Future Through Technology and Innovation
As BIT Mesra celebrates 72 years of academic excellence, the announcement of the NVIDIA-powered Centre of Excellence represents far more than an infrastructure upgrade. It symbolizes the institute’s strategic vision for the future—one where education, advanced research, industry collaboration, and technological innovation work together to address national and global challenges.
With investments in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductor technologies, and interdisciplinary research, BIT Mesra is strengthening its position as one of India’s leading centres for technology education and scientific innovation. The initiative is expected to benefit not only the institute’s students and faculty but also startups, industries, and researchers across eastern India, creating new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and economic development.
The 72nd Foundation Day therefore stands as both a tribute to an illustrious past and a bold declaration of BIT Mesra’s readiness to lead India’s next chapter in advanced technology, research excellence, and innovation-driven growth.
