PNN
New Delhi [India], May 14: At the prestigious PAN IIT Alumni Conference 2026, held from 22-25 April 2026 in Long Beach, California, USA, Rishihood University emerged as a key voice in conversations around the future of technology, education, and India's long-term sovereignty in innovation. As a strategic partner and co-organizer of the global conference, the university participated alongside leading technologists, founders, investors, researchers, and members of the global IIT alumni community.
Advocating the strategic importance of technological self-reliance, Rishihood University used the global platform to reinforce a larger national vision: India must build indigenous capabilities in critical technologies ranging from semiconductors and AI infrastructure to operating systems, robotics, and deep-tech innovation.
The conference saw the launch of the Sajjan Agarwal School of Technology (SASTech) by Rishihood University, an initiative envisioned as a future-facing model for technology education in India.
Speaking at the conference, Rishihood University leaders described SASTech as an attempt to build the next frontier of deep tech education, an institution rooted in academic excellence and meritocracy, while reimagining engineering education for the AI era through interdisciplinary learning, industry integration, experiential pedagogy, holistic development, and global collaboration.
Rishihood University founders Sahil Aggarwal and Dr. Shobhit Mathur, who are IIT alumni, represented the university at the conference along with three students, Sajjan Agarwal, Founding patron of SASTech, and Chancellor Suresh Prabhu, from the institution. The university hosted one of the largest and most active booths at the event, engaging with prominent delegates, global CTOs, entrepreneurs, investors, and academic leaders in discussions around the future of education and technology.
Reflecting on the university's participation, Dr. Shobhit Mathur shared that Rishihood did not attend the conference merely to showcase itself, but to ask deeper questions about how education must evolve in response to rapidly changing technological realities.
"We came to meet the people behind the global technology revolution, founders, builders, investors, researchers, to listen, learn, and explore how they might participate in building what we are trying to create at Rishihood University," he noted. "There is growing openness to rethinking education, but very few institutions are truly building from first principles. That is the space we want to occupy."
The conference also provided an opportunity for Rishihood University to initiate long-term conversations around collaboration, innovation, and institutional design with members of the global IIT ecosystem.
During the conference, Dr. Shobhit Mathur also participated in academic discussions and shared the stage with fellow educators and thought leaders from across the world. The university additionally hosted a special networking session titled "Discussing Education 2.0 Over Breakfast", bringing together delegates for candid conversations on the future of learning, technology, and institution-building.
The visit also reflected Rishihood University's emphasis on holistic education. Founder Sahil Agarwal met spiritual leader Sadhguru during the conference and shared reflections on the role of mindfulness and inner development in education.
"Strength of the mind is not a peripheral hobby. It is the core of a fulfilling life," Sahil Agarwal shared. "The learning DNA at Rishihood has this philosophy embedded into education. This is an essential element that makes holistic education whole."
Rishihood University emphasized that while technology will increasingly shape the trajectory of nations, the institutions preparing future innovators must evolve beyond conventional models. Through SASTech, the university aims to create a platform that combines rigorous academic foundations with ethical leadership, interdisciplinary thinking, and deep industry engagement.
The university expressed gratitude to PAN IIT organizers, particularly Shashi Tripathi, for creating space for emerging institutions to participate meaningfully at a global platform of this scale.
The conference concluded with a larger invitation to the global technology and IIT alumni community: to collectively imagine what the next generation of technology institutions should look like in the context of AI, national sovereignty, and India's development journey.
About: Rishihood University
Rishihood University is reimagining higher education as a force for national transformation. It shapes learners for personal growth, professional excellence, and public impact in an industry-integrated, values-first learning environment. With an interdisciplinary approach that integrates technology, entrepreneurship, design, mental wellness, and public policy; Rishihood aims to create a new generation of conscious professionals.
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