Students from the IEM–UEM Group, University of Engineering and Management (UEM) Kolkata, achieved a significant milestone at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, securing both the first and second prizes in the YuvAI project competition. The event, held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, witnessed participation from nearly 20,000 projects, making the achievement particularly notable.
UEM Kolkata emerged as the only university to win two top awards at what has been described as the world's largest AI summit in 2026.
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Double victory at a global AI platform
The first prize, which included Rs 15 lakh and Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses, was awarded to AGNISENA, Early Forest Fire Detection and Communication System. The project is an AI-powered solution developed to detect forest fires in real time while enabling rapid emergency communication with the aim to reduce environmental damage and potential loss caused by wildfires.
The second prize, carrying a cash award of Rs 10 lakh, went to the team behind Early Dysarthria Prediction using Explainable AI (XAI). This healthcare-focused project uses interpretable machine learning models to identify dysarthria at an early stage, supporting doctors with clearer clinical insights and improving decision-making processes.
Recognition from Union ministers
The awards were presented by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, along with Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry. The recognition highlighted the innovation and social relevance demonstrated by the student-led initiatives.
Both winning projects were created by third-year undergraduate students and developed under the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Center (IEDC) of the IEM–UEM Group.
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'Bengal students are making real contributions...'
IEM's Director and UEM pro vice-chancellor Prof Satyajit Chakrabarti was quoted as saying by Education Times, "Students from UEM Kolkata won the top two prizes in the AI impact summit out of 20,000 projects, which shows that Bengal students are making real contributions to make India a leader in the AI era. IEM and UEM students are regularly winning the top prizes in all the AI and Robotics competitions in the IITs and NITs all over India showcasing their talent in innovations and startup product development."
