IIT Madras showcases Groundbreaking Innovations at IInvenTiv 2025

This year’s event at IIT Madras exemplified the transformative potential of Indian research and reinforced the government's vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras recently hosted one of India’s largest research and development fairs, IInvenTiv 2025, on February 28 and March 1, 2025. With the goal of showcasing cutting-edge innovations from premier Indian institutions, the event demonstrated a wide array of advancements in fields such as biotechnology, agriculture, additive manufacturing (3D printing), and AI. This year’s event exemplified the transformative potential of Indian research and reinforced the government's vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Platform for Industry-Academia Collaboration

IIT Madras, as the host institution, played a pivotal role in facilitating meaningful interactions between academia and industry. Professor V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming response and participation. He said, “The 183 expo demonstrations, the roundtable discussions with industry leaders, and the Chintan Shivir sessions have provided deep insights into how we can further strengthen industry-academia relationships. Moving forward, we will be focusing on both short-term and long-term agendas to create more synergies between the two sectors.”

The event highlighted the critical need for such collaborations, with Professor Manu Santhanam, Dean of ICSR at IIT Madras, emphasizing the importance of tech transfer from research labs to industry. “The range of technologies exhibited here clearly demonstrates the potential of our academic institutions,” he noted. “The feedback from industry partners has been extremely positive, and we anticipate many future collaborations stemming from this platform.”

Diverse Innovations on Display

The exhibits at IInvenTiv 2025 spanned a broad spectrum of emerging technologies, each aiming to solve real-world problems. In the field of agriculture, IIT Kanpur’s startup ScaNxt showcased BhuParikshak, a portable, chemical-free soil testing device powered by deep learning. Meanwhile, IISER Thiruvananthapuram demonstrated its autonomous rover that monitors soil moisture levels, providing valuable irrigation data.

IIT Madras also stood out with its advanced contributions to additive manufacturing, displaying laser powder bed fusion technology, including a titanium alloy cranial implant. In addition, the RoBuoy, an autonomous underwater glider, and a multimodal robotic research platform demonstrated IIT Madras' leadership in AI-driven robotics and marine technologies.

The healthcare sector featured innovations such as a non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring device incubated by IIT Madras and a novel edible breath sensor made from rice starch, aloe vera, and ginger.

Fostering Sustainable Innovation

Sustainability was a recurring theme at IInvenTiv 2025. IIT Madras exhibited solutions such as Hemosync, which focuses on monitoring vital health parameters. Other institutes, such as IIT Delhi, showcased innovations like LC3, a sustainable cement alternative that reduces CO2 emissions by 40%, while IIT Dharwad exhibited 3D concrete printing techniques that enhance material efficiency in construction.

IIT Madras also highlighted its contributions to sustainable practices in construction, energy, and carbon capture. Professor V. Jothiprakash from IIT Bombay, who exhibited innovative solutions for clearing floating debris in channels, applauded the efforts of IIT Madras for hosting the event, mentioning the opportunity to showcase these innovations to a broader audience, including industries, government officials, and fellow researchers.

AI, Robotics, and Additive Manufacturing at the Forefront

AI and robotics were strongly represented at the event, with IIT Madras demonstrating cutting-edge research in underwater gliders and multimodal robotics. IIT Kanpur also displayed its precision AI-driven quadcopter drone for industrial and defense applications, while IIT Gandhinagar’s Lingo Lab presented Ganga, a ChatGPT-style AI model designed for Indian languages, already available in Hindi and English with plans for Telugu and Tamil versions.

These developments were particularly appreciated by industry leaders and academic researchers alike, who saw the potential for AI and robotics to revolutionize various sectors, from healthcare to defense and beyond.

Panel Discussions Driving Forward Innovation

IInvenTiv 2025 also featured a series of Chintan Shivir panel discussions, which delved into pressing topics such as sustainability, AI/ML applications, rural technologies, and the future of additive manufacturing. These sessions brought together thought leaders, industry experts, and academic pioneers to discuss and explore the future of innovation and technology.

Professor Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, pointed out the importance of moving technologies from early research stages to market-ready solutions. He emphasized that, “While many innovations halt at Technology Readiness Levels 3 or 4, platforms like IInvenTiv 2025 help push them forward to TRL 8, where the technologies are nearly market-ready.”

Towards a Stronger Industry-Academia Ecosystem

The impact of IInvenTiv 2025 extends beyond the exhibition of technologies; it serves as a powerful catalyst for bridging the gap between research and industry. Through this event, IIT Madras has solidified its role as a leader in fostering innovation, providing a platform for groundbreaking work to be showcased, and ultimately driving tech transfer and commercialization.

Professor K. N. Satyanarayana, Director of IIT Tirupati, highlighted the significant industry interest generated through the event, with several follow-up discussions exploring potential collaborations. He noted, “IInvenTiv 2025 has proven to be an excellent platform for fostering industry-academia partnerships and driving meaningful collaborations.”

With the successful conclusion of IInvenTiv 2025, IIT Madras and its partner institutions have not only demonstrated the immense research potential of Indian universities but have also laid the groundwork for future collaborations that will drive India’s innovation agenda towards Viksit Bharat@2047.

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