Hyderabad/New Delhi, Feb 24: Mahindra University hosted the latest editions of Airo and Aether, its annual sports and techno-cultural festivals, drawing participation from over 50 colleges across India. The week-long celebrations brought together student athletes, performers and creators on one platform, reinforcing the university’s commitment to holistic education and leadership development.
Airo 2026 transformed the campus into a high-energy arena featuring over 20 sporting disciplines. Competitions ranged from kho-kho, powerlifting, pool and snooker, swimming (freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke), table tennis, tennis, throwball, volleyball and yoga. The sporting calendar also included kho-kho, powerlifting, pool and snooker, swimming across freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke categories, table tennis, tennis, throwball, volleyball and yoga.
The festival witnessed participation from students of BITS Pilani, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, Woxsen University, NALSAR University of Law, Anurag University, Symbiosis Hyderabad, O.P Jindal University, among others.
Dr Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor of Mahindra University, states,
“The spirit of Mahindra University lies in combining academic rigour with creativity, leadership, and responsibility. Airo and Aether are student-led events that encourage young people to take ownership, organise large-scale events, and develop leadership skills in real-world settings. By managing tournaments, curating cultural experiences, and engaging peers nationwide, students practise leadership, decision-making, and teamwork. These experiences equip them to step into professional and civic roles with confidence and integrity.”
Complementing the physical intensity of the sports field, Aether 2026 served as a dynamic cultural stage. Conceptualised and organised jointly by students and university leadership, the fest featured a diverse mix of literary competitions, debates, quizzes, movie marathons and interactive adventure events. This year’s festival presented multiple forms of expression including music, dance, visual arts, film, gaming and interactive cultural experiences. Competitive and showcase events included Newspaper Up-Cycling, Logo Loco, Neon Ride, Graffiti Labs, the finals of the Frame Film Festival, Frame and Fame, Treasure Hunt, Comic Skits and Stand-Up Comedy. Students from Osmania University, Loyola Academy, NIFT Hyderabad, BITS Goa and CBIT among others participated in Aether 2026.
Immersive engagements such as “Once Upon a Time” and “Smash the Stigma” encouraged dialogue and creativity, while high-energy competitions such as Battle of Bands and Voices, Battle of Beats in solo, duet and group formats, and Crown and Culture drew enthusiastic participation.