ASME EFx® India 2026 Concludes, Showcasing Emerging Engineering Talent from Across India

INDIA (January, 2026) — ASME Foundation India (AFI) concluded EFx® India 2026, its national engineering festival, following three days of immersive learning, innovation, and collaboration. The event brought together 700+ engineering students from 19 states, including Kerala, Odisha, Delhi, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, for hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving.

EFx India 2026 focused on hands-on learning, interdisciplinary engineering, and industry-aligned problem-solving, offering students exposure to real-world challenges beyond the classroom. The festival facilitated interaction between students, academicians, and industry professionals, reflecting the evolving needs of the engineering ecosystem.

One of the event’s key themes was interdisciplinary engineering, highlighted through sessions and challenges integrating emerging technologies with practical application. This included the workshop “Robotics in the Age of AI: Moving from Automation to Autonomy,” which focused on the role of artificial intelligence in robotics and autonomous systems and connected conceptually to ASME India’s Asia-level conference, the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition® (IMECE India 2026), scheduled for September 2026 in Chennai.

Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, Mr. Madhukar Sharma, President & Director, ASME India Pvt Ltd, said, “For India to truly evolve from a service economy into a global ‘Product Nation,’ we must move beyond ‘Make in India’ to ‘Design in India.’ ASME EFx India 2026 is the platform where this transformation begins. ASME is empowering a new generation of engineers who possess the multidisciplinary skills and innovation mindset required to solve real-world challenges — from sustainable mobility to autonomous systems.”

Highlighting the initiative, Ms. Avni Malhotra, Deputy Director, ASME Foundation India, said, “True innovation requires a diversity of hearts and minds. Through ASME Foundation India, we are committed to unlocking that potential in every student. ‘Gear Up FEME’ is a challenge that proves women belong at the forefront of design engineering.”

Recognizing excellence across competitions, EFx® India 2026 celebrated outstanding performances by participating engineering colleges, with several institutions emerging as winners across multiple challenges. Colleges including Federal Institute of Science And Technology (Kerala), KLS Gogte Institute of Technology (Karnataka), Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (Karnataka), Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (Kerala) and Netaji Subhas University of Technology (Delhi) demonstrated strong technical expertise, innovation, and teamwork, securing top positions in more than one competition. Their achievements highlighted the depth of engineering talent and the competitive spirit fostered at the festival.

One of the event’s key highlights was “Gear Up FEME — Where Her Ideas Take Shape,” a women-only engineering challenge led by ASME Women in Engineering. The initiative featured a four-hour CAD and simulation challenge that tested participants on creativity, precision, and problem-solving skills under time constraints.

EFx India 2026 also brought together academicians and industry professionals from organisations such as IIT Ropar, Boeing, Giesecke & Devrient, and Siemens Energy India, reinforcing collaboration between academia and industry.

The event was supported by official sponsors GAIL and The Welding Institute (TWI) India, strengthening industry engagement and practical exposure for participating students.

Sharing his perspective, Mr. Sanjay Chauhan, Chief General Manager, GAIL (India) Limited, Jaipur, said, “I welcome the opportunity to partner with EFx India 2026, where India’s brightest engineering minds pioneered sustainable energy solutions through hands-on competitions like the E-human-powered vehicle challenge. The women-only CAD challenge, Gear Up FEME, sharpens design, analysis, and innovation skills while amplifying our push for diversity and a sustainable future. ASME competitions blend multidisciplinary engineering into real-world prototyping, instilling teamwork, project management, and innovation skills that employers demand.”

By combining technical learning, interdisciplinary exposure, and competitive problem-solving, EFx India 2026 concluded with a focus on supporting the development of future engineers, contributing to India’s growing role as a hub for engineering design and innovation.