L&T Technology Services wraps TECHgium with 62,000 entries
Mon, 18th May 2026 (Today)
L&T Technology Services has concluded the ninth edition of TECHgium at its Mysuru campus. The student engineering competition drew more than 62,000 registrations from over 540 institutes across India.
The turnout was 60% higher than in the previous edition, highlighting the widening reach of a programme launched in 2016.
Following a nine-month mentoring and assessment process led by the company's engineers and domain specialists, 34 finalist teams presented working prototypes to a jury of industry figures, academics and analysts. Prize money totalled more than INR 18 lakhs.
The winning team was from M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Engineering in Bengaluru for a project titled NextGen Self-Charging Hybrid Scooter. The runner-up was from RNS Institute of Technology in Bengaluru for TETROBOT - Modular Robotic Arm, while the second runner-up was from PSNA College of Engineering and Technology in Dindigul for AERIS - Stability Starts with Comfort.
The People Choice Award went to a team from the Institute of Technical Education & Research in Bhubaneswar for a project titled C.H.I.R.A.N.J.E.E.V.I.
This year's entries covered a broad range of engineering themes. Finalists demonstrated concepts including robotic automation for medical diagnostics, multilingual video localisation using artificial intelligence, live AI captioning, Wi-Fi sensing for smart home monitoring, and robotic arms designed to improve safety in industrial settings.
Industry links
The competition is positioned as a bridge between academic engineering work and industrial problem-solving. Through applied research and mentoring, participants developed ideas into prototypes aimed at practical use cases.
Padma Shri Dr. Shubha V Iyengar, a CSIR-NAL scientist known for work on Drishti, an indigenous runway visibility measurement system, attended the event as chief guest.
"TECHgium offers a compelling glimpse into the future of engineering innovation. What makes this platform remarkable is its ability to transform student-led concepts into practical, industry-relevant solutions with real-world impact. Initiatives like these are essential to fostering open innovation and nurturing the next generation of engineering breakthroughs," Iyengar said.
Participation has risen sharply since the competition began, with registrations now nearly eight times the launch level. L&T Technology Services described that growth as evidence of deeper engagement from engineering institutes across the country.
Wider push
The event also reflects a broader push by Indian companies to build closer ties with universities and technical colleges as demand rises for engineers with experience in artificial intelligence, robotics, software and applied hardware. Student competitions and incubator-style programmes have become one way for companies to identify talent and shape projects around industry needs.
Rajeev Gupta, Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer at L&T Technology Services, said the programme had grown into a national platform over nine editions.
"TECHgium has become a strong reflection of India's rising deep-tech engineering capabilities and the innovation potential of its young talent. Over nine editions, the platform has evolved into a nationwide innovation ecosystem bridging academia and industry. The scale and quality of solutions showcased this year reinforce our belief that the future of engineering will be shaped by Engineering Intelligence - where AI, domain expertise, and real-world problem-solving come together to drive meaningful impact. Through TECHgium, we remain committed to nurturing future engineers who will build smarter, safer, and more sustainable industries globally," Gupta said.
L&T Technology Services, a listed subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, provides engineering and research services across sectors including industrial products, medical devices, transport, telecom and process industries. It has more than 23,800 employees, 22 design centres, 31 sales offices and 98 innovation labs worldwide, according to the company.