Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter Holds 28th AGM; Elects New Committee for 2026–27
Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter Holds 28th AGM; Elects New Committee for 2026–27
The Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter, held its 28th Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) and Technical Seminar on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Millennium Hotel Kuwait, drawing engineering professionals from across the Indian community in Kuwait.
The evening opened with the Kuwaiti and Indian national anthems, followed by a welcome address from the Chapter's leadership.
The centerpiece of the evening was a technical seminar titled “When the AI Lies with Confidence,” delivered by Dr. Ali Alfayly, Assistant Professor at the College of Basic Education in Kuwait, a member of the IEEE Region 8 Young Professionals Committee, and a board member of the Association of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AAIoT). The session, which examined the risks of overconfident errors in AI systems, was followed by an interactive question-and-answer round with attendees.
The AGM proceedings continued with the Treasurer's report presented by Engr. Shankar, followed by the General Secretary's report from Engr. Kartikeyan Elangovan, and a report from the outgoing Chairman. A group photograph was taken of the outgoing 2025–26 committee before it was formally dissolved.
The election, conducted under the Election Commission comprising Dr. Mahendran Meyyappan and Engr. Rishabnath Jain, saw nominations reviewed and the incoming committee for 2026–27 called to the stage. Newly elected Chairman Engr. Kartikeyan Elangovan, Division Manager at Satco Energy General Trading and Contracting Company, formally accepted the chairmanship. Engr. Satish Soni was appointed General Secretary and Engr. Sudhir Shyam Menghani was appointed Treasurer for the new term.
During the event, the Chapter felicitated guest speaker Dr. Ali Alfayly with a memento presented on stage by outgoing Chairman Engr. Sam Ananth Kumar and incoming Chairman Engr. Kartikeyan Elangovan, in recognition of his insightful session on AI.
Dr. Ali Alfayly is felicitated with a memento by outgoing Chairman Engr. Sam Ananth Kumar and incoming Chairman Engr. Kartikeyan Elangovan
The Chapter also announced new initiatives for the coming term: IEI SHE, a women's empowerment wing; IEI YEC (Young Engineers Club), a platform for young engineers; and IEI Radiance, an evening celebrating women achievers — alongside a calendar video previewing the Chapter's upcoming year of activities.
Engr. Kartikeyan Elangovan, Chairman, IEI Kuwait Chapter (2026–27) announced that “It is a privilege to take on this responsibility for the IEI Kuwait Chapter. Over the coming term, our focus will be on strengthening engagement across our community through new initiatives like IEI SHE and IEI Radiance, while continuing to give our members a platform to learn, connect, and grow professionally in Kuwait.”
The newly elected Executive Committee for 2026–27 is led by Engr. Kartikeyan Elangovan as Chairman (Division Manager, Satco Energy General Trading and Contracting Company), with Engr. Satish Soni as General Secretary (Head of Business Intelligence, Kuwait Application Service Provider), Engr. Nalin Vasanth Sethunath as Joint Secretary (Technical Sales Engineer, MAJ International Company), Engr. Sudhir Shyam Menghani as Treasurer (Senior Mechanical Engineer, KEO International Consultants), and Engr. Ashok Kumar as Joint Treasurer (Senior Process Engineer).
The Executive Members are Engr. Krishna Jegan Ponnuswamy (General Manager – Oil and Gas Division, Bader Al Mulla and Bros. Company); Engr. Rajalakshmi Rajasekaran (Sales Manager, Schneider Electric); Engr. Sudhir Kumar Sahoo (Electrical Engineer); Engr. Santosh Kumar Udaibhan Singh (Lead Engineer – Mechanical & Piping, Gulf Spic General Trading & Contracting Company); Engr. Tijo Thomas (Operations Manager, Charter Company for General Trading and Contracting); Engr. Muthukumar Mahalingam (Project Engineer, HEISCO); Engr. Farzeena Anwar Antulay (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineer); Engr. Geo Varghese (Mechanical Engineer, Rank General Trading and Contracting Company); Engr. Salman Burhanuddin (HSE Engineer, Borets Service Limited – ESP Field Service); Engr. Bharath Kumar Reddy Govindu (Senior Consultant – Business Intelligence, Kuwait Application Service Provider); Engr. Paranthaman Malaichamy (Senior Mechanical Engineer); and Engr. Hasan Sayed (Senior ERP Consultant – Business Intelligence, Kuwait Application Service Provider).
Engr. Sam Ananth Kumar continues with the Chapter in an ex-officio capacity (Construction Manager, HEISCO), while Dr. Mahendran Meyyappan serves as Advisor (General Manager, Texel Engineering General Trading and Contracting).
The event concluded with dinner and networking among members.
