Mettle Meet 2026: IIT-Guwahati eyes stunning debut

ARINDAM GANGULY, OP

Bhubaneswar: Mettle Meet 2026 is set to kick off here with the preliminary round August 8, followed by the grand finale August 9, bringing together around 80 teams from across Odisha and different parts of the country for one of the biggest and most prestigious quizzing competitions in eastern India. Like every year, the competition has attracted several new institutions.

Among the most anticipated debutants this year is the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati, which will be looking to make a stunning debut and mount a strong title challenge in its maiden appearance. Established in 1994, IIT-Guwahati is the sixth member of the IIT fraternity, with its academic programmes commencing in 1995. Over the years, the institute has earned a reputation as one of India’s leading centres for higher education and research.

This year, IIT-Guwahati will be represented by Aditya Das Choudhury, Kaustubh Pathak and Yashvardhan Patel. Notably, this edition of Mettle Meet will feature three-member teams instead of four, a move aimed at making the competition more intense and strategically challenging.

Also Read : IIT Guwahati innovative textile transforms sunlight, electricity into heat

Speaking to OrissaPOST, Odisha’s only homegrown English daily and the organiser of the mega event, Aditya, who earlier represented VSSUT-Burla at Mettle Meet, said he was thrilled to return to the competition for the third time, this time wearing the colours of IIT-Guwahati. “I am excited to participate in Mettle Meet for the third time and, for the first time, represent IIT-Guwahati. As debutants, we are aiming to make a stunning impact.

Our team has a strong quizzing background, and that experience should help us challenge for the title,” Aditya said. “Our strategy is to study past editions of Mettle Meet, understand the pattern of questions and focus on teamwork. Building strong coordination among ourselves will be key,” he said. Kaustubh described it as a privilege to participate in “eastern India’s biggest quiz competition”. “It is an honour to be part of Mettle Meet. In fact, we are surprised that IIT-Guwahati had never participated earlier. We know quizmaster Ajay Poonia is known for setting challenging and unpredictable questions, so we are preparing across a wide range of subjects, especially current affairs and history. Speed and teamwork will be crucial,” he said.

For Yashvardhan, the competition will also mark his first visit to Bhubaneswar. “I am excited to visit the Temple City for the first time and compete against some of the best quiz teams from Odisha and across the country. It will certainly be a tough competition, but we are looking forward to the challenge. We want to enjoy the experience while giving our best,” he said.