Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), a constituent institute of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bengaluru, hosted CODE-AI, powered by CGI and in collaboration with Linnaeus University, Sweden, and SUPSI (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland) on the 3^rd and 4^th of July at their campus in Bengaluru.

To set the event in motion, on 3^rd of July, post a rousing invocation by Ms. Bhavana (Research Scholar) MIT and welcome speech by Dr. Dayananda P (General Chair) HOD – IT, MIT -B’LRU the lamp was lit by the present dignitaries, signalling the start of the event.

Dr. Gururaj H L (Program Chair) Associate Professor, IT, MIT B’LRU made some insightful opening remarks about the conference, following which chief guest Ashok Chaturvedula, Senior Vice-President, Financial Services, Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence, CGI was introduced by Dr. Gopalkrishnan T (Program Chair), Associate Professor, IT, MIT B’LRU. Dr Yashaswini, Assistant Professor, IT was the master of the ceremony.

Director, MITB & General Chair, CODE-AI 2024, Dr. Jagannath Karody provided thoughts and remarks on the conference. He said “We are inaugurating a very interesting conference. A B.Tech. in Data Science and AI is a new and much needed combination in India and the event will provide insights to students from both fields, by bringing in required experts. I congratulate the faculty and CGI for coming together and making this a successful event for our students.”

Addressing the attendees, Ashok Chaturvedula said “As Artificial Intelligence continues to advance and rapidly transform the way we live and work, the collaboration between industry and academia is crucial to address the war for talent in the coming years. As industry leaders, it is our responsibility to collaborate with academic institutions to nurture the next generation that is not only skilled in AI but also prepared to embrace innovation. CGI is pleased to be affiliated with Manipal Academy of Higher Education – MIT, and this conference further highlights our commitment to leading the next wave of change by example”.

 After the conference remarks by the chief guest, the audience was addressed by Dr. Prema K V (Associate Director & General Chair) and the Guests of Honour, Dr. Francesco Flammini (Professor, SUSPI, Switzerland) and Dr. Sandip Chakraborty (Associate Professor, IIT Kharagpur) were introduced.

Speaking about the event, Dr. Francesco Flammini said “The primary goal of this event is to showcase global talent and shine a spotlight on innovative minds. Leveraging AI is crucial in tackling the myriad societal challenges we face today, and this conference aims to inspire individuals to thoughtfully integrate AI into their solutions. This platform offers an exceptional opportunity to network with experts across various disciplines and collaborate on groundbreaking solutions.”

 An enlightening panel discussion was held on the topic “Being Future Ready in Gen AI World” with panellists Deepa Jayanna (Director Consulting Delivery, CGI), Dr. Francesco Flammini (Professor, SUSPI, Switzerland), Raghav Kumar P (Vice President Consulting, Energy and Utilities APAC Solutions), Badri Ramakrishnan (AI Explorer, Technology Leader Lulumelon India) and moderated by Harikrishnan KS (Vice-President and Director Consulting and Sub BU lead Manufacturing, CGI). Various elements of AI and data science were covered, and panellists explored the possibility of students and trainees being prepared to work with AI to their best capabilities in the future.

Dr. Madhu Veeraraghavan (Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE BLR) also graced the event with his presence.

Dr. Shreyas J (Program Chair), Assistant Professor, IT, MIT B’LRU delivered the vote of thanks to conclude the conference.