ASTHRA 2.0 Engineering Innovation Competition Begins At BVRIT In Narsapur

The national-level engineering creativity and innovation competition, ASTHRA 2.0, was officially inaugurated at the BV Raju Institute of Technology (BVRIT) in Narsapur, Medak, on Friday, July 3, 2026. The two-day event aims to encourage students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges.

Addressing the gathering of participants and faculty, the chief guest of the event, Prof Chandrashekhar Sharma, who serves as the Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT-Hyderabad, spoke on the necessity of practical application in engineering education. He strongly emphasised the importance of transforming theoretical classroom knowledge into tangible, practical engineering innovations.

Prof Sharma urged the participating students to actively embrace emerging technologies that are shaping the future of the industry, specifically highlighting Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Machine Learning. He encouraged the young engineers to pursue active research and innovation in these fields.

Furthermore, Prof Sharma assured the student participants that IIT-Hyderabad remains fully prepared and ready to support young innovators in their creative endeavors. He noted that platforms like ASTHRA 2.0 provide an invaluable opportunity for students to convert abstract theoretical concepts into functional engineering solutions.

A total of 24 teams representing leading educational institutions from across India have registered and are actively participating in the national-level competition.

The first day of ASTHRA 2.0 featured several technical events. Organisers successfully completed the mandatory safety inspections for the React-O-Car competition. Meanwhile, two other major events, the Tech-O-Car and Cube-X competitions, were successfully concluded on the opening day.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by several prominent academic and industry figures. Among those present was Prof AVN Swamy, an Executive Committee member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE).

The leadership of BVRIT was also well-represented at the launch. BVRIT Principal Sanjay Dubey, Director Dr K Lakshmi Prasad, and GB Radhika, the Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at BVRIT, were all present to support the participating students and oversee the commencement of the two-day event.