Anokha 2024, the national techfest of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore campus, concluded its 12th edition on October 19, 2024. The event, held from October 17-19, provided a platform for students across India to engage in technical activities and enhance their skills.
The Techfest recorded 6111 student registrations from universities and colleges across South India for workshops and technical events spanning various disciplines, including engineering, computing, arts, and agriculture. Participants competed in 55 technical events, with a total prize pool of ₹10 lakhs. Popular events included Ragnarok, a gaming contest, Xenon, a Capture the Flag cyber skills challenge, and Sumo Bots, where two robots competed in traditional sumo style matches. Other events, such as Tech Track Thriller: The Robo Racer and Micromouse, showcased students’ skills in robotics, while Ecostructura involved participants constructing buildings with bamboo skewers.
On the success of this year’s edition, Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan, Dean – Academics, commented, “Anokha 2024 witnessed a remarkable surge in student participation, with a vibrant atmosphere fueled by the enthusiasm and innovation displayed in the technical events. The workshops offered a great platform for the students to gain hands-on experience in various key emerging areas, instilling the ‘Can Do’ attitude. Lumiere talks were very inspirational and covered some very important topics on the future leaders of India, India’s technical prowess, women empowerment, entrepreneurship, and many more. Overall, Anokha 2024 was a grand success, and I was truly delighted to be a part of this year’s edition.”
Anokha 2024 also featured a Techfair & Exhibition showcasing over 50 projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Notable projects included Safe Step, an AI-powered assistive system for the visually impaired, and the Albatross Quadcopter Ensemble, which won first prize for its applications in vision-based navigation and medical supply delivery. Designed by students from the Department of Aerospace Engineering, the quadcopter ensemble highlighted innovative uses of drones and fixed-wing aircraft. The Techfair attracted over 3000 visitors, including 300 school students, and offered prize money of ₹1 lakh to winners.
Over 35 workshops were conducted in areas such as Generative AI, Robotics, Electric Vehicles (EV), Blockchain, and Quantum Computing, led by industry leaders including Google, Shell, IBM, and Bosch Global Software Technologies. These workshops provided students with practical experience in emerging technologies.
The Anokha Lumiere Talk Series featured speakers such as Sudhanshu Mani, who discussed engineering excellence in Indian Railways, and Major Deepak Iyer, who shared insights on leadership and resilience. Kalki Subramaniam addressed the role of art and media in social change.
Cultural events included performances by the Ragasudha and Natyasudha clubs, followed by a show featuring keyboardist Stephen Devassy and playback singer Sathyaprakash Dharmar.
Anokha 2024 was supported by sponsors including ICICI Bank, Dhanalaxmi Bank, Prominance, SBI, and the Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) Coimbatore Center.
The organizing team comprised faculty conveners Mr. M. Sreevalsan and Dr. Prashant R. Nair, along with student heads Mr. Mehul Sharma and Mr. Dilip Parasu, supported by 30 faculty and over 500 student volunteers.
