Our Story

About
TEDxNITC

A highly passionate community of students who hold firm in the belief that no idea is left unshared, TEDxNITC has been at the forefront of fostering innovation and creative thought within NIT Calicut since its inception in 2012.

"Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them."

— Alfred North Whitehead

What is TED?

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to ideas worth spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks — 18 minutes or fewer. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment, and Design converged. Today it covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

What is TEDx?

The main idea of TED is to give people from everyone around the world, access to new knowledge and a way to share it with new people. They want to spread and spark new ideas for people and make sure that it’s all accessible to anyone in the future. This is precisely why TED speakers have included Roger Ebert, Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, Elizabeth Gilbert, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Brian Greene, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Simply put, TED is the world's most watched conference; and TEDx events aim to emulate this exact impact, albeit on a smaller scale. In 2006, TED began putting their talks online for free. One of the first videos was Ken Robinson’s now-legendary talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” which exploded across the internet and became one of the most-watched TED talks of all time. This paved the way for TEDx. Essentially, TEDx is a way for local organizers to host their own independently organized TED-style event with TED’s blessing and brand standards, with the “x” simply meaning “independently organized.” In short, TEDx is not just where the world discovers new voices long before they ever reach the global TED stage- but also a way for an Renowed voice to effortlessly share novel ideas to an audience that is now larger than ever.

What is TEDxNITC?

TEDx NIT Calicut is an independently organized TED event held at National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC), Kozhikode, Kerala. Since its inception in 2012, TEDx NITC has done tremedously well in cultivating an air of thought and ideation within campus; 5 editions and nearly 15 years later, NITC has stood strong as one of the most innovative and forward institutes in Kerala. Our motto is simple, yet firm and clear: To think, to learn, to ideate. And all the while, we remain focused on our long term commitment and mission toward the community: To provide the NITC community and the wider Kozhikode region with a platform for ideas that challenge, inspire, and connect, for years and years to come.

Our Mission

As the forefront of a new, emergent innovative movement, Our mission remains deeply rooted in a fundamental issue: Having ideas but no where to express them. Here at TEDx NIT Calicut, our mission is to combat exactly that. That is, to surface the most compelling local and national voices; people who are doing transformative work but haven't yet found a large enough stage. The latest 2026 edition continues this tradition in grand style with eight carefully chosen speakers whose stories will linger long after the lights go down.

The TEDx License

TEDxNITC is organized under a license from TED. This means we operate independently, but within TED's established guidelines and/or Code of Conduct to maintain the quality and integrity of the TEDx brand. All content, speakers, and programming decisions are made by our volunteer organizing team at NITC.

Ready to be in the room where ideas happen?

Seats for TEDxNITC 2026 are limited. Register early to secure yours.