On 4 August 2025, Sri Sri University in Bhubaneswar hosted an impactful AIORI Regional Faculty Workshop, marking a successful milestone in the nationwide effort to build awareness, capability, and engagement in Internet engineering and standards development. This event, organized under the Advanced Internet Operations Research in India (AIORI) program, continued its mission of empowering faculty and students to contribute to the evolving global Internet ecosystem. The workshop brought together technical experts, young innovators, and academic leaders to foster a deeper understanding of how the country can strengthen its presence within global standardization bodies like IETF. The enthusiastic turnout from students and faculty across different departments reflected the university’s commitment to fostering technological advancement and active participation in nationwide digital capacity-building programs.The first technical session was led by Mr. Anand Raje (Chair, Internet Society – India Kolkata Chapter). His session on AIORI and Internet Engineering introduced participants to the fundamental principles that govern the architecture, functioning, and security of the global internet, covering the relevance of Internet standards, routing advancements, and DNS operations. His ability to simplify complex topics, such as the process of RFC development, made the session highly engaging, igniting interest among students to explore research contributions where the nation has tremendous potential yet remains underrepresented. Following this, the workshop seamlessly transitioned into an insightful session conducted by Mr. Anupam Agrawal (Chair–IIFON) who spoke about “AIORI Ambassadors” and the value of student-driven technical leadership. He shared details about the AIORI 2 Hackathon and the various pathways through which young learners can become active contributors to Internet research, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, collaboration, and consistent skill-building. The workshop continued with discussions involving other stakeholders, highlighting the collaborative nature of AIORI’s nationwide project and stressing that sustainable digital growth comes from cooperation between academia, industry, and policy ecosystems. The MeitY & NIXI segment further enriched the workshop by shedding light on national digital governance initiatives and the country’s efforts to promote digital resilience, aligning participants’ awareness with broader national policies and goals. The afternoon resumed with another high-energy session by Mr. Anand Raje, who demonstrated the AIORI platform in detail, showcasing the technological backbone, research tools, and the practical application of Internet operational research. He clarified how the platform empowers future Internet engineers, protocol designers, and digital infrastructure leaders. This was followed by the IETF session, a crucial component where participants were introduced to the process of how the IETF shapes the global Internet. The session explained the relevance of RFCs and how students and researchers can participate by contributing to drafts and collaborating with working groups, encouraging them to explore IETF as a platform where their innovations and ideas can directly influence global technologies. The workshop concluded with a closing session and certificate distribution. Special acknowledgment was extended to the Associate Partner, Internet Society – India Kolkata Chapter. Our involvement, guided by the Internet Society’s mission to advance open development and use of the Internet, played an instrumental role in ensuring the smooth and impactful execution of the Bhubaneswar workshop. Our collaboration and backing significantly strengthened the event and reflected our shared commitment to building the next generation of technologists and contributors. The workshop successfully continued the program’s mission of fostering awareness, enhancing technical competency, and building a strong pipeline of student innovators ready to participate in national and global Internet standardization efforts. The event reaffirmed the importance of nurturing a technically empowered academic ecosystem.
