Bengaluru: If there was ever a place where engineers willingly spent an entire day discussing AI agents, digital twins, autonomous drones, radar systems and Formula race cars without looking at the clock, it was MATLAB EXPO 2026 India. Hosted by MathWorks in Bengaluru, the one-day conference drew more than 1,300 engineers, scientists, researchers and industry leaders, all eager to explore how generative AI and agentic engineering workflows are moving from flashy demos to real-world deployment.
And unlike most AI conversations these days, this one came with fewer “replace humans” fears and more “help engineers survive deadlines” energy.
The conference focused heavily on how engineering organisations are integrating generative AI, engineering copilots and Model-Based Design into development workflows while still maintaining the holy trinity of engineering: validation, traceability and safety. Because while AI can write code in seconds, someone still needs to make sure a drone does not suddenly believe it is a submarine.
From virtual vehicle development and automated driving to maritime systems, wireless technologies, electrification and embedded AI, MATLAB EXPO 2026 showcased how industries are shifting from experimentation to production-ready AI-assisted engineering systems.
Industry giants including Boeing, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, Tata Consultancy Services, NXP Semiconductors and the Indian Institute of Science presented real-world case studies spanning automotive, aerospace and defence, industrial automation, semiconductors, communications and medical devices. The discussions highlighted how tools like MATLAB® and Simulink® are increasingly becoming central to AI-assisted design, digital twins and certification-ready engineering workflows.
Sunil Motwani, Country Manager – Sales and Service at MathWorks India, said the industry is now moving beyond curiosity-driven AI trials toward identifying practical value in engineering environments.
“This year’s MATLAB EXPO reflected growing industry interest in applying GenAI, copilots and agentic AI to engineering workflows in ways that improve productivity while preserving validation, traceability, and safety,” he said.
One of the major attractions of the event was the keynote lineup. Seth Deland and Avinash Nehemiah from MathWorks discussed how generative and agentic AI capabilities within MATLAB and Simulink are helping engineering teams accelerate simulation-led development and move faster from concepts to deployable systems.
Meanwhile, Collins Aerospace’s Vice President of Global Engineering and Technology Centers, Savyasachi Srinivas, explained how digital engineering and AI-enabled knowledge systems are being used to streamline certification processes and improve collaboration using digital twins. The keynote also explored emerging AI applications inside future cockpit and cabin environments — which sounds futuristic until you realise your car already complains louder than your family when you miss a turn.
A panel featuring leaders from TCS, HSBC, Boeing, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India and IISc examined how organisations are validating AI-assisted outputs in real-world systems. Topics such as governance, verification, human oversight and the evolving role of engineers in supervising increasingly automated workflows dominated the discussion, proving once again that even the smartest AI still needs someone nearby holding a metaphorical torque wrench.
The conference also brought engineering enthusiasm to life beyond presentations. IIT Madras’ Raftar Formula Racing team showcased its competition-winning race car, while a dedicated UAV technology pavilion displayed drones and eVTOL platforms developed by Speedgoat, Zmotion Autonomous Systems and Reude Technologies using MATLAB and Simulink workflows.
Across demonstrations and sessions, one message remained consistent: AI copilots and agentic systems are no longer limited to brainstorming labs and PowerPoint slides. They are now becoming active participants in engineering workflows, helping accelerate design, simulation, verification and deployment while engineers continue steering the process.
Because in engineering, unlike science fiction movies, people still prefer humans to remain somewhere near the “off” button.
