On 2 August 2025, Techno International New Town in Kolkata hosted a powerful and insightful AIORI Regional Faculty Workshop, marking a significant continuation of AIORI’s nationwide effort to enhance Internet Engineering awareness and digital capability. Located in the developing New Town region, the institution provided the ideal setting for a full day of deep learning, hands-on exposure, and collaborative engagement, underscoring Kolkata’s growth as a central hub of eastern technological development. The workshop began with a motivating welcome emphasizing the essential need for students to gain a strong technical understanding of digital systems, aligning academic learning with industry relevance. The first major session was led by the distinguished Mr. Anand Raje (Chair, Internet Society – India Kolkata Chapter). His session on AIORI & Internet Engineering provided a rare opportunity to explore the hidden layers of the Internet’s architecture, explaining how global systems like DNS, routing policies, and autonomous networks work together. He emphasized the need for strengthening internal capacity and increasing participation in global engineering dialogues, opening the minds of students to the engineering challenges that define the stability and future of the internet. The atmosphere remained highly energized as the workshop transitioned into the session conducted by Mr. Anupam Agrawal (Chair – IIFON). His presentation on the “AIORI Ambassadors program” was one of the most engaging parts of the day, explaining how students can join AIORI’s national network, participate in hackathons, and contribute to research-oriented initiatives. His guidance informed and empowered students, motivating them to envision themselves actively participating in future events. The workshop then progressed into a focused discussion on the contributions of multiple stakeholders—government departments, technology councils, academic institutions, and industry bodies—to the creation and sustenance of the digital ecosystem. Students gained a holistic view of how policies, engineering, and open collaboration build a resilient infrastructure. An equally impactful session followed, dedicated to the initiatives undertaken by MeitY & NIXI, providing students with context on national-level digital infrastructure initiatives aimed at improving accessibility, reliability, and network resource management. One of the most interactive components was the “AIORI Anchors demonstration”, led again by Mr. Anand Raje. This session brought real-time tools and technical demonstrations to the forefront, showing students how AIORI frameworks can be used for digital analysis, infrastructure modeling, and network monitoring, inspiring ideas for projects in areas like cybersecurity and network engineering. Another significant learning opportunity came through the session dedicated to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), where participants learned the process of engaging with IETF mailing lists, contributing to working groups, and interacting within global engineering communities, reinforcing the value of open, standard-driven engineering. The closing session celebrated the efforts of participants and faculty. A special and well-deserved note of appreciation goes 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 the success of the Kolkata workshop. Our collaboration significantly strengthened the event’s execution and enriched the learning experience for the students. The AIORI Workshop at Techno International New Town marked a significant milestone, ensuring that students are not merely consumers of technology but informed contributors to its evolution, helping shape the digital destiny of the country.
