SVKM’s NMIMS Navi Mumbai hosted the third edition of the International Conference on Hybrid Intelligence: Theories and Applications (HITA 2026), a two-day academic conference bringing together researchers, academicians and technology experts to explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, data science and human intelligence.
Organised by the School of Technology Management and Engineering (STME), NMIMS Navi Mumbai, in technical partnership with institutions including NIT Jalandhar and Shobhit University, Gangoh, the conference provided an interdisciplinary platform for exchanging research, sharing technological insights and discussing emerging applications of hybrid intelligence.
HITA 2026 witnessed research contributions from approximately 400 institutions across India and several countries, including Spain, Indonesia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. Of more than 600 research papers submitted, 90 were selected for presentation through a rigorous peer-review process, reflecting the conference’s emphasis on research quality and academic rigour.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by distinguished academic leaders, including Chief Guest Padma Shri Professor Sankar Kumar Pal, National Research Professor, Government of India, and former Director of ISI Kolkata; Dr Abhishek Ranjan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, NMIMS; Dr Tarun Kumar Sharma; and senior representatives of the NMIMS STME faculty.
Bridging Artificial Intelligence and Human Expertise
The central theme of HITA 2026 focused on Hybrid Intelligence, an emerging approach that combines the computational capabilities of artificial intelligence with human judgement, domain expertise and ethical oversight. Discussions explored how integrating machine intelligence with human understanding can help address complex real-world challenges that require more than automated data processing and pattern recognition.
Research presentations and conference tracks covered a diverse range of applications across healthcare diagnostics, agricultural monitoring, smart infrastructure resilience, acoustic sensing and defence surveillance, highlighting the potential of interdisciplinary research to address challenges across industry and society.
Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Responsible Innovation
The conference also underscored the importance of collaboration across disciplines, bringing together engineering professionals, computer scientists, electronics researchers and domain specialists. Discussions emphasised the need to develop technology-driven solutions while upholding academic integrity and addressing critical considerations around privacy, fairness and responsible innovation.
The inaugural ceremony concluded with the formal release of the HITA 2026 Abstract Book by the distinguished guests, marking the beginning of two days of research presentations, technical sessions and academic networking.
Through HITA 2026, NMIMS Navi Mumbai reaffirmed its commitment to advancing research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and creating platforms for meaningful academic exchange on emerging technologies and their applications.