IITG Research Scholar Wins Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship India 2026

Innocent Mochahari, a research scholar in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Guwahati, has been selected for the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship (QIF) India 2026.

Published 30 Sept 2026 | Category Awards | Office Dept of Computer Science

Mr Innocent Mochahari, working with Prof Chandan Karfa (Associate Professor

Department of Computer Science & Engineering) submitted a proposal to QIF India 2026 titled: "Rethinking Scale: Efficient Agentic Framework with Small Language Models in Hardware Design". This proposal was one of 18 chosen from more than 180 initial submissions for the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship India (QIF India) 2026.

QIF India is open to graduate student teams and selection is a multi-stage process. Applicants submit a three-page innovation proposal along with recommendation letters from faculty. A subset is then shortlisted as Program Finalists and invited to give a virtual presentation covering the proposal idea, how it differs from the state of the art, and the execution plan and strength of the team. A judging panel then selects the winners.

The fellowship is a global programme by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. It recognises, rewards and mentors Master's and PhD students doing cutting-edge research in engineering and computer science. Each winning team receives a cash award to cover research expenses and conference travel for the academic year. Teams are also assigned dedicated Qualcomm researchers as mentors, who offer technical feedback and guidance on industry careers.