We are thrilled to announce the 2nd conference on Hot QCD matter, a significant event in our field, to be held in Mandi from July 1-3, 2024. This three-day conference is not just a gathering but a platform to unite theoretical and experimental physicists across India in the QGP/Heavy-ion collisions field. It's a unique opportunity to stimulate discussion on recent experimental results, theoretical developments, and future directions in this field, and your participation is crucial to its success.

Strongly interacting matter at extreme temperature and density conditions is a primary research subject in theoretical and experimental communities. Experiments with ultra-relativistic nuclei at RHIC and LHC create hot QCD matter at extremely high temperatures, where quark-gluon plasma is formed. According to the Big Bang Theory, this state of matter existed in the Universe roughly between a few pico to microseconds after the Big Bang. The state of matter produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions reaches equilibrium in a very short time. It is a significant challenge for contemporary studies to develop theoretical and phenomenological tools that link experimental observations with the predictions of the fundamental theory at equilibrium.

Our conference is designed to facilitate about 60 talks, but more importantly, it provides ample time for collaborative discussions on some of the open issues in heavy-ion theory and experiments. The conference will follow a pedagogical approach, fostering a sense of camaraderie among the diverse audience, ranging from seasoned QCD experts to graduate students. This collaborative environment is expected to enhance the quality of our discussions and lead to fruitful outcomes.

The first Hot QCD Matter conference, a resounding success, was held at Goa University, jointly organized by IIT Goa and Goa University in 2022. Building on this success, we are excited to bring you the 2nd conference, which promises to be even more engaging and insightful. We look forward to your active participation and contribution.