Bhubaneswar: The 63rd annual national conference of the All India Occupational Therapists’ Association (AIOTA), titled OTICON 2026, was inaugurated in Odisha today. 

The conference is being jointly organized by the Odisha Branch of AIOTA (OBAIOTA) and the Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training & Research (SVNIRTAR).

The inaugural ceremony was graced by several eminent dignitaries, including Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Cabinet Minister, Government of Odisha; Dr. Bibhuprasad Tarai, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (Jagatsinghpur Constituency); and Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice Chancellor, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SoA) University.

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Among others Dr. Akhilesh Kumar Shukla, Director, NIMHR Sehore and President, Occupational Therapy Council under NCAHP; Dr. P. P. Mohanty, Director, SVNIRTAR; Dr. Pankaj Bajpai, President, AIOTA; Dr. Joseph Sunny, Honorary Secretary, AIOTA; Dr. Pratibha Milind Vaidya, Vice President, AIOTA; Dr. Anurupa Senapati, Organising Secretary, AIOTA and Head, Department of Occupational Therapy, SVNIRTAR; and Dr. Pragyan Singh, Scientific Chairperson, AIOTA were also present on the occasion.

As part of the inaugural programme, the AIOTA mobile application was officially unveiled, marking an important step toward enhancing digital connectivity and professional engagement among occupational therapists.

The inauguration marked the formal commencement of OTICON 2026, which will host academic sessions, scientific presentations, and professional deliberations aimed at strengthening occupational therapy education, research, and rehabilitation services across the country.

The organizers expressed optimism that the conference will serve as a vital platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and advancement of the occupational therapy profession in India.