IIT Madras will hold Shaastra 2026, its annual technology festival, from January 2 to 6 on campus. The event lasts five days and expects over 80,000 visitors. Visitors can enjoy 80 events and 130 stalls showcasing IIT Madras innovations. Shaastra 2026 is fully managed by students and is ISO 9001:2015 certified. This year’s theme is ‘Artifacts of Arcade’. It turns the festival into a game-like world where each workshop or competition feels like a new level to win, mixing fun and learning. A major initiative called VidhyaVahak will train 150 rural teachers in modern tools, including AI technology. Mith R Jain, Student Co-Curricular Affairs Secretary, said about another campaign called ‘Hear4You’: "The campaign aims to raise awareness about preventable and treatable hearing loss and promote inclusive communication." Murugaiyan Amirthalingam, Co-Curricular Advisor, said the famous Robowars competition is back and will have international teams from Malaysia, Brazil, and Russia. IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti said the campus is buzzing in early January: "We have our open house, Shaastra 2026, then Saarang 2026. We are also opening our IIT Madras Global Research Foundation. This will be inaugurated by Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar on January 2, 2026." Shaastra 2026 will also feature talks by top experts including Jeffrey Ullman, Turing Award winner; Subra Suresh, ex-director of the US National Science Foundation; and Vidita Vaidya, a neuroscientist honored with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize.