11th National Conference ICON’26
Date : 4th& 5thMarch 2026
The 11th National Conference – ICON’26 on the theme “Phygital Systems: Where Physical Meets Digital Intelligence” was successfully organized by the Department of Information Technology in association with the Center of Excellence in Cyber Physical Systems, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, on March 4 and 5, 2026.
The conference received an enthusiastic response with over 200 registrations from around 25 institutions across the country, including participation from faculty members, research scholars, and UG and PG students.
Inaugural Session
The inaugural session was held on 4th March 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The session began with a welcome address by Prof. Dr. N. Kanya, Head of the Department of Information Technology and Dean (Student Affairs). She welcomed the dignitaries, speakers, and participants, and briefly highlighted the growth and achievements of the institution and the department.
This was followed by the conference briefing delivered by Dr. Dahlia Sam, Professor, Department of Information Technology and Head (Center of Excellence in Cyber Physical Systems), who outlined the objectives, theme, and structure of the conference.
The conference was formally inaugurated and the Presidential Address was delivered by Dr. S. Geethalakshmi, Vice Chancellor, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute. The Felicitation Address was delivered by Dr. Cyril Raj, Additional Registrar, and Dr. Ethiraj, Dean (Engineering and Technology).
The Chief Guest, Dr. S. Muralikrishnan, Deputy Director, Data Processing Area (DPA), Aerial Services and Digital Mapping Area (ASDMA), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, delivered the keynote address. He shared valuable insights on satellite data processing, object-based storage technologies, and emerging opportunities in space research, and also highlighted internship and career opportunities available at ISRO.
During the inaugural session, the conference proceedings were formally released by the Honorable President, Er. A.C.S. Arun Kumar, in the presence of the chief guest and other dignitaries.
Following the inaugural ceremony, participants proceeded to the technical sessions for paper presentations.
Paper Submissions and Technical Sessions
The conference received around 200+ research paper submissions, which were carefully reviewed by a technical review committee consisting of subject experts. After a rigorous review process, 155 papers were selected for presentation.
The paper presentations were conducted through 11 parallel technical sessions, including six offline sessions and five online sessions. Each session featured approximately 13 research presentations.
The sessions were chaired by eminent academicians and experts from various institutions, ensuring constructive discussions and valuable feedback for the presenters.
At the end of each session, one Best Paper Award was selected, resulting in a total of 11 Best Paper Awards.
Valedictory Session
The Valedictory Session was held on 5th March 2026 at 2:30 p.m.
The session began with the welcome address by Prof. Dr. N. Kanya, Head of the Department of Information Technology.
The Felicitation Address was delivered by Rector Prof. Dr. D. Viswanathan, and the Valedictory Address was delivered by Shri Srikrishna S. Chippalkatti, Scientist-E and Head, IT Skill Development Centre, MEPZ-CDAC.
During the valedictory ceremony, the Best Paper Awards from each technical session were announced and distributed. In addition, the Overall First, Second, and Third prizes were awarded to the top research papers selected by the panel of session chairs.
ICON’26 was a great success, providing an excellent platform for researchers, academicians, industry professionals, and students to present their research work, exchange ideas, and discuss innovations in the field of Phygital Systems and emerging digital technologies.
