Adopting new technologies a great challenge for future engineers: Tessy Thomas

new delhi: tessy thomas, popularly known as the missile woman of india, on saturday said that adopting new technologies in a rapidly digitizing world—and ensuring they are ethical, inclusive, and sustainable—is a great challenge for future engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and leaders.thomas, a distinguished scientist and former director general (aeronautical systems) of the defence research and development organisation (drdo), made the comments while addressing the 56th convocation of the indian institute of technology (iit) delhi."at a time when the world is rapidly digitizing, adopting new technologies and ensuring those technologies are ethical, inclusive and sustainable is a great challenge for future engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders. whether it is decarbonization, water conservation, digital equity, bio-innovation or an engineering marvel, let it be your contribution to society," she told the graduating students.asserting that "human values will matter more than the valuations" in a world increasingly driven by data, algorithms, and automation, thomas said, "iit education has prepared you to build systems and has trained you to be custodians of trust in a world dominated by technology.""you are entering a world brimming with complexity and creativity. in this decade, the world needs problem solvers, dreamers who implement, builders who take action and leaders who execute. move on with the spirit of innovation, humility to learn from others and courage to walk paths uncharted," she added.a total of 2,764 iit students, including 530 phds (the highest-ever), were awarded degrees and diplomas at the convocation. of the graduating students, 735 are women.forty-three international students from around 20 countries also received degrees.twenty-year-old chandan godara, a btech in civil engineering, was the youngest graduate, while 63-year-old gopal krishan taneja, a phd recipient, was the oldest.the first batch of graduates in the btech course in energy engineering and three postgraduate programs—interdisciplinary mtech in robotics, master of science by research in vlsi design, tools and technology, and artificial intelligence—were also conferred degrees.the institute honoured seven of its distinguished alumni with the distinguished alumni awards (daa) 2025. instituted in 1992, the daa has been awarded to 151 alumni to date, representing excellence in science, technology, entrepreneurship, public service, academia, and innovation.