CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) hosted Neurodiversity Summit 2026 in the campus today (7th July 2026). It brought together in one platform the researchers, NGOs, industry leaders, policymakers and community stakeholders. The aim was to develop a collaborative roadmap for creating an inclusive ecosystem that empowers neurodivergent individuals through research, innovation and community partnerships.
The summit had the theme of ‘Research, Innovation and Community for Inclusive Futures’. It marked an important step towards building scalable, technology-enabled and community-driven solutions that address the lifelong needs of neurodivergent individuals across learning, employment and independent living.
Establishing a Centre of Excellence for Neurodiversity at IIT Madras was a focus of the summit. The proposed Centre will drive research and innovation in digital assessment tools, personalised assistive technologies, adaptive vocational solutions and capacity building, while serving as a hub for collaborative research, technology translation and community engagement.
Organised by IIT Madras faculty members in collaboration with the Institute’s ACR Office, the summit showcased a multidisciplinary approach, with experts from Management Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mechanics, Biotechnology, Humanities and other disciplines working alongside leading NGOs and civil society.
Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Today, I am very thankful that many NGOs have come for this summit. We are the most youthful nation in the world. Inclusion – social wise, health and disability – is very important.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “I have five priority areas for this Neurodiversity Centre of Excellence, starting with neurodiversity for which we need early identification. The technology development has to be a priority. Second is evidence-based intervention and that is where NGOs can help us. Then, we need skilled educators and caregivers. We can bring lot more technology to ease their work. We also need assistive technologies that are accessible and affordable. The last of the five points is we need employment pathways that move beyond tokenism. We should identify specific employment opportunities for people with disabilities.”
Guest of Honor Dr. M. Malaiappan, Director, Institute of Mental Health, Chennai, said, “Human behaviour, cognition and emotions are so complex that they are yet to be fully understood, that too in a neurodivergent individual. It requires deeper research. It is not easy to standerdize SoPs for neurodivergent individuals. Such parameters are not fully available now. An association between service users, service providers, academia, and that too a science and technology institution like IIT Madras is needed. A Centre of Excellence in this field will be a great step forward.”
The summit concluded with a shared roadmap that envisions IIT Madras serving as an anchor institution for advancing research, innovation and deployment of inclusive technologies through sustained partnerships with community organisations, industry and government.
Further, Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, added, “IIT Madras has embraced interdisciplinarity in a way few have. The number of interdisciplinary centers IIT Madras has set up, connecting so many diverse fields from health and medicine to social studies to Engineering. IIT Madras is the right place to establish a Centre of Excellence for Neurodiversity. A roadmap must emerge from this summit for a CoE that is sustainable over the long term.”
Speaking on the occasion, Summit coordinator Prof. Arshinder Kaur, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, said, “Among the key outcomes from this summit is a commitment to jointly develop scalable, technology-enabled solutions that recognise, nurture and amplify the strengths of neurodivergent individuals. Participants also identified priority areas for collaborative research, innovation and implementation involving our institute (IIT Madras), NGOs, industry partners and other stakeholders.”
As part of the immediate action plan, the collaborators will work towards piloting personalised recommendation engines, adaptive training systems and assistive technologies through IIT Madras-NGO partnerships. The initiative also envisions establishing prototype nodal centres, training staff and interns, and developing implementation playbooks supported by measurable key performance indicators.
Summit coordinator Prof. Viswanath Kumar Ganesan, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, added, “The long-term vision emerging from the summit is to institutionalise a federated ecosystem that supports lifelong learning, independent living and sustainable employment through enduring partnerships among academia, industry, NGOs and government agencies.”
Ms. Usha Subramaniam, Country President, Grundfos India, delivered a keynote address on ‘Economic Empowerment: Opening Livelihood and Employment Pathways’. Ms. Poonam Natarajan, Founder, Vidya Sagar, spoke on ‘Building a National Neurodiversity Ecosystem: From Fragmented Efforts to Collective Impact’. Prof. N. Ramesh Babu, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, Mr. S N Srikanth, Secretary, The Clarke School, spoke on the occasion.
The summit further outlined a medium-term roadmap that includes developing a federated digital platform connecting neurodivergent individuals with resources, employers, mentors and funding opportunities. The platform is expected to facilitate collaborative research, evidence-based advocacy and the development of policy-ready indicators that promote inclusion.
