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Welcome Session - Microsoft Research India Academic Summit 2026

Welcome Session - Microsoft Research India Academic Summit 2026

The Microsoft Research India Academic Summit 2026 opens with MSR India Lab Director Venkat Padmanabhan outlining the lab's collaborative research philosophy and Microsoft's evolution into an AI infrastructure powerhouse. He details MSR India's four core research pillars: fundamental AI advancements, specialized domain solutions, efficiency across the AI stack (including small language models), and the crucial diffusion of AI technologies for societal impact in India and the Global South, exemplified by diverse projects and collaborations.

Plenary Talk 3: Challenges and Research Opportunities for Global Hyperscale Services

Plenary Talk 3: Challenges and Research Opportunities for Global Hyperscale Services

This talk provides a comprehensive overview of cellular aging, brain function, and the mechanisms of cognitive decline, particularly focusing on Alzheimer's disease. It delves into the role of various cell types, neural communication, and methods for assessing cognition. The speaker highlights research challenges, the limitations of current pharmacological interventions, and the critical importance of non-pharmacological lifestyle interventions. A significant portion of the discussion is dedicated to the Centre for Brain Research's (CBR) multi-disciplinary efforts in India, including large-scale cohort studies, multimodal data collection, and the development of AI-driven tools and a localized foundation model for the Indian brain to address neurodegeneration.

Plenary Talk 2: Reimagining Education and Skilling for the Age of AI: Challenges & Opportunities

Plenary Talk 2: Reimagining Education and Skilling for the Age of AI: Challenges & Opportunities

Manohar Swaminathan critiques India's "broken" education system, asserting AI offers a unique opportunity for fundamental redesign rather than incremental fixes. He introduces `Echaliva` (reimagined workflows) and `Shiksha` (agentic AI support) frameworks, underpinned by six pillars: pervasive AI access, learner agency in real-world problem-solving, portfolio-based assessment, micro-credentialing, lifelong learning, and faculty incentives focused on impact. The talk details how agentic AI, via tools like "lumens," can manage complex learning pathways and showcases examples from institutions implementing these transformative changes, extending to a "Pluriversity" model for large-scale skilling and enhanced employability.

How Warp Went From YC to a $60M Series B

How Warp Went From YC to a $60M Series B

Warp founder & CEO Ayush Sharma discusses building an AI-native employee management platform in a competitive market, detailing how "unsexy" payroll problems became a powerful wedge and why AI fundamentally shifts enterprise software development. He explains what "AI-native" means for product architecture and company structure, the advantage it gives technical founders, and Warp's vision for "systems of intelligence" to empower customers with AI agents for complex HR workflows.

Turn 10,994 Notes Into Memory - Paul Iusztin, Decoding AI & Louis-François Bouchard, Towards AI

Turn 10,994 Notes Into Memory - Paul Iusztin, Decoding AI & Louis-François Bouchard, Towards AI

Paul Iusztin and Louis-Francois Bouchard unveil their AI Research OS, a powerful system that transforms notes, documents, videos, and code repositories into a dynamic, personalized memory for AI agents. They detail a three-layered architecture (raw files, index, wiki) that efficiently manages context and enables continuous learning and evolution, addressing the limitations of static research and generic AI tools.

Full Stack Greenfield Projects : Are they still relevant?

Full Stack Greenfield Projects : Are they still relevant?

Bharat Goenka, co-founder of Tally, discusses the company's unconventional approach to software development through "Full Stack Greenfield" projects. He explains why building every component from scratch, despite being a high-risk strategy, has been crucial for Tally's success in serving the SMB market, fostering extreme customer loyalty, and aspiring to connect 200 million businesses. The talk delves into the historical context, the philosophy of questioning and choosing constraints, and the distinction between product and custom engineering.