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Team Nexus AI from Sona College of Technology, Salem, that developed an artificial intelligence-based platform that simplifies industrial PLC programming, won the Gold Cup at the Mitsubishi Electric Cup - 6th Edition (2026) among 300 entries.

The contest sought participating teams to design fully functional automation solutions using Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation technologies aligned with its e-F@ctory concept.

AI Platform for Industrial Automation

Team Nexus AI-led by Ms Tharanika K, and comprising BTech IIIrd year batchmates Ms Tharana A S, Mr Vijay B and Mr Seralathan R-worked on "Simplifying Industrial PLC Programming using Artificial Intelligence." The team developed a system that allows users to describe machine control logic in natural language, which is then automatically converted into Structured Text code-a modern alternative to conventional ladder logic programming.

The team was selected from nearly 300 national entries in the Mitsubishi Electric competition and underwent multiple stages of technical evaluation supported by Mitsubishi Electric mentors and trainers.

Over months of development, the students built a robust AI platform capable of generating executable control programs for Mitsubishi Electric IQ-F (FX5U) PLCs. The innovation was validated through a fully operational Automated Dip Dyeing Machine, powered entirely by AI-generated control code produced by the Nexus AI platform and executed using Mitsubishi Electric industrial automation hardware including PLCs, HMIs, servo motors and FA components.

At the final round held at the MIT Pune campus, the system underwent intensive evaluation by an eight-member jury comprising automation programmers, ladder-logic specialists and Mitsubishi Electric R&D engineers. The jury examined the platform's architecture, logic integrity, safety framework and scalability. Senior leadership, including Atsushi Takase, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Electric India, had in- depth discussions with the team and conveyed their keenness for possible partnership in the future.

After going through nearly 150 days of rigorous product development along with their studies, Team Nexus AI was announced the winner of the Gold Cup and they received a cash prize of Rs.1 00 000.

Expressing his pleasure to the students, Takase said, "I am very happy to see Team Nexus AI winning the competition. The team has successfully shown not only excellent technical skills but also creativity and innovative thinking elements throughout the competition."

The winning team Nexus AI will be the face of Mitsubishi Electric India at the Global Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation (MECA) Competition to be held in September 2026.

Praising the team, Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, Sona College of Technology said, "Our faculty's research inclination is creating a path of innovation grounded on strong fundamental knowledge." This is the third national industry competition win by Sona student teams in recent months - after Capgemini and Google Gemini - reflecting the focused mentoring ecosystem at the institution."

The team acknowledged the guidance of its faculty mentor Dr. D. Prasad, the support of a seven-member backend peer group, and the encouragement received from Sona's EEE alumni and institutional leadership.

It may be recalled that Team Nexus AI team member Vijay B had won the Rs 2.5 lakh Student Champion Award in the Capgemini Engineering Brand Quest 2025 beating

2,50,000 competitors from engineering and management institutions.

OpenAI has announced Arjun Gupta as its first Solutions Architect in India, which indicates a more direct and local effort to strengthen the founders who create with GPT models, multimodal systems and agent based AI.

Gupta, who was a Co, Founder and CTO at AuraML, posted the news on LinkedIn that he has joined OpenAI's go, to, market (GTM) team and will help founders go from early prototypes to production, scale deployments. His appointment comes just as India is seeing an upsurge in demand for first hand architectural support, and the AI adoption is progressing beyond the experimental towards the enterprise grade implementation.

"I'm starting a new chapter. I've joined OpenAI as the first Solutions Architect in India (GTM team)," Gupta wrote.

From startup founder to OpenAI's India architect

Before OpenAI, Gupta ran AuraML, which was a generative robotics simulation and synthetic data startup that raised $1.23 million in funding and partnered with companies including NVIDIA, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud. He has worked at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, machine learning model training, and AI pipeline deployment.

Gupta shared that he has been deeply involved in all aspects of AI system building, from scaling infrastructure and model training to solution delivery for actual customers.

Regarding the AI revolution in India, he expressed that the nation is on the brink of a major transformation and its technical talent, entrepreneurial drive, and access to better tools were some of the factors that gave it an edge.

OpenAI expands enterprise push

Gupta's appointment is one of the many steps OpenAI is taking to expand its enterprise focus. The company is engaging with large consulting firms for its most advanced AI alliance.

Consultants from leading firms such as Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, Accenture and Capgemini make up the core of the consulting giant part of the initiative.

OpenAI's engineers who are always on the ground will collaborate with consulting firms under this program to assist businesses in implementing AI agents in their essential operations such as software development, sales, and customer support.

In the heated enterprise AI competition, OpenAI is battling not only startups like Anthropic but also tech giants such as Google, all of whom are marketing AI solutions to large organizations. OpenAI has indicated that its strategy allows companies to continue using their current systems while at the same time working more closely with its research teams.

In a major boost to digital creativity and AI learning, Adobe has announced free access to its premium creative and productivity tools for Indian students. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Government of India, will make industry-standard applications available to accredited higher education institutions nationwide.

Under the programme, students will get complimentary access to popular tools including Photoshop, Acrobat and Firefly along with more than 20 desktop, mobile and web apps from the Creative Cloud ecosystem. These include Illustrator, Premiere, Express and Lightroom — software widely used in media, design, filmmaking and marketing industries.

AI-first certifications with industry partnership

The company has also partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime to provide AI-focused certification programmes. Along with free software access, students will receive structured training to learn how to practically use generative AI tools in real-world workflows.

The scheme will initially benefit students from 15,000 schools and 500 colleges that host Content Creator Labs — a government initiative introduced in the Union Budget 2026 to promote digital skills and creative entrepreneurship.

What students will get

Eligible students will receive:

• Access to 20+ Creative Cloud applications
  
  
• Mobile and web versions of key apps
  
  
• 100 GB cloud storage
  
  
• Standard fair-use credits
  
  
• 25 premium generative AI credits per month
  

To activate the offer, students must have a Federated ID. If not available, Adobe will send a VIP enrollment invitation which must be accepted before account setup.

Not the same as paid plan

The company clarified that this “Creative Cloud Pro India for HED” package differs from its regular student subscription plan, which costs ₹400 for the first month and ₹2,714 thereafter. Some premium features available in Creative Cloud Pro Plus are not included in the free version.

The offer will be reviewed annually, and Adobe retains the right to modify or discontinue it in the future.

Students of the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture & Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, presented their academic work at Bharat Parv 2026, a national cultural festival held during Republic Day celebrations at the ancient Red Fort. The exhibition was organized by the Council of Architecture with the dual purpose of promoting architectural education and enhancing public awareness of India's architectural heritage.

The participation formed part of the “Srujan 2.0” exhibition, where architecture colleges from across the country displayed student research and design innovations. JMI students presented detailed building construction and structural models created by B.Arch students. During the event, the main highlight was the documentary study of the Bhimakali Temple, a very good example of traditional Himalayan temple architecture that also shows its connection to Indias knowledge systems.

Architectural Heritage of India was the main theme of the exhibition. Along with it, there were topics like the use of local materials and village knowledge for building and the evolution of design in the development of cities. One of the major attractions of the CoA pavilion was the way the exhibition linked the traditional temple design principles with the contemporary structural knowledge and thus became a big hit with the visitors.

It was remarked by faculty members that Bharat Parv participation gives architecture students a national platform and is a bridge between their academic learning and public engagement. The display also serves as a source of inspiration for school students and young aspirants to choose architecture as a profession by showing them the possibilities that lie outside of conventional engineering and design paths.

Before this, the Council of Architecture held the Srujan exhibition at Bharat Parv 2025. It was very well received by both the professionals and the general public. Building on that success, the Srujan 2.0 edition in 2026, an extended version, not only attracted more institutions but also more people came forward to interact.

Jamia Millia Islamia was among the participants at last year's edition. The university's ongoing participation is a reflection of its deepening commitment to heritage research, conservation awareness, and sustainable architecture education in India.

As the attention to culturally grounded and climate responsive design keeps rising, events such as Bharat Parv are becoming important platforms that are connecting the world of academics, policymakers, and people thus, increasing understanding of how architecture can contribute to the future development of cities and the preservation of heritage in India.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has introduced a new BSc degree, BSc in Fabric and Apparel Design. The new course will be under the Four, Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) for the January 2026 admission cycle through the School of Continuing Education (SOCE) at IGNOU. The BSc Fabric and Apparel Design is planned to be conducted in the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

Besides, the course conforms to a multiple exit structure where students will be able to take a UG Certificate in Fabric and Apparel Design upon completion of the first year, to a UG Diploma after the second year, a BSc degree after the third year, and a BSc (Honours) in Fabric and Apparel Design after four years.

The application window for the course lies open. The tuition fee per annum is fixed at Rs 11, 000 without the registration and development fees.

This programme, according to the Open University, is designed in accordance with the UGC’s Curriculum and Credit Framework and aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The programme is available only for those candidates who have completed 10+2 with Science as one of the compulsory streams. English is the medium of instruction. The total credit requirement to complete the programme is 120 credits for the three, year degree, and the exams are held annually.

The BSc in Fabric and Apparel Design programme is designed for students to acquire theoretical knowledge and hands, on skills in textile science, fashion design, and garment construction. It will combine the scientific explanation of textiles with artistic design and technical education, thus gaving students the first, hand experience towards employment.

As per IGNOU, the programme will focus on creativity, sustainability, and the graduate's professional competence, which will help the graduates to work in the textile and apparel industry, start their own business, or go for higher studies.

Study materials will be available in print as well as in digital formats to make them accessible to learners from all over the country.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget 2026 has a five-pronged approach for the growth of the textile sector of the country. One key element of the proposed budget is placing design education and creative skills at the centre of the government’s education and employment strategy, outlining measures to align learning with jobs, enterprise and services-led growth.

“The Indian design industry is expanding rapidly, and yet there is a shortage of Indian designers. I propose to establish, through a challenge route, a new National Institute of Design (NID) to boost design education and development in the eastern region of India,” the finance minister said.

Samarth 2.0, one of the proposed measures, will modernise and upgrade the textile skilling ecosystem through collaboration with industry and academic institutions. 

“ It is a welcome announcement because when I was trying to apply to fashion institutes from Assam, the entrance exams clashed with state board exams. Now we have an NID in my hometown, Jorhat and the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Shillong. Study of Muga silk is also introduced in the syllabus, which is a good push,” said Sushmita Choudhury, a fashion designer and former student of the International Institute of Fashion Design, Hyderabad.

7 NIDs and 16 NIFTs

The NID is a group of autonomous public design institutes in India, the first of which was established in 1961 in Ahmedabad. Currently, there are seven NIDs in India and 16 NIFTs that focus on textile designing.

The latest NID was set up in Jorhat in 2019, while NIFT Srinagar was the last one to be set up in 2016.

“An increasing number of institutes can also dilute the quality of education, because they need highly trained faculty and well-equipped design labs,” said stylist Neha Sinha, a former student of NIFT, Chennai.

The Indian fashion design industry had a market value of approximately ₹15.1 lakh crore in 2023 and is expected to reach around Rs 45.3 lakh crore by 2032.

Indian luxury labels are also transitioning from niche offerings to becoming established institutions.

A majority of Indian consumers now prefer shopping from homegrown and small businesses, as per a 2025 report. The survey, conducted with YouGov across 18 states with 5,000 respondents, found that  58 per cent of Indians choose local brands.

“ While new institutes are being set up, the curriculum needs to change because students are not taught how to set up a brand, or even taught about GST. They are taught to make a cost sheet, but not how to price the final garment. That’s why students end up working for other designers, instead of learning how to set up their label,” said Choudhury.