IIT-Madras’s 'IInvenTiv 2025' showcases India’s tech prowess

CHENNAI: The IIT-Madras campus on Friday served as the grand stage for ‘IInvenTiv 2025’, India’s largest R&D fair, featuring ground-breaking innovations from India’s leading educational institutions, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, and other top 50 NIRF-ranked institutes. The event brought together 185 exhibits, highlighting the country’s advancements in a wide array of technological fields, from space communication to energy efficiency.

IIT-Indore: Low Frequency Antenna Characterization System

One of the most notable innovations on display was the Low Frequency Antenna Characterization System developed by IIT-Indore. This system utilises drone technology, revolutionises antenna testing and measurement for communication, defence, and space technologies. According to Professor Abhirup Datta this drone-based antenna measurement system can replace traditional anechoic chambers. “It ensures precision, performance, and progress, and also helps in developing methodologies to increase the efficiency of communication and enhance signal detection capabilities,” he told DT Next. “The system promises to transform antenna testing by enabling more accurate and flexible assessments in remote and complex environments, aiding the advancement of space and communication technology.”

IIT-Bombay: Quantum Magnetometer with PI Control, inSPEC CS 100

Another standout innovation was IIT Bombay’s QMagPi (Quantum Magnetometer with PI Control). This compact and portable magnetometer, which employs nitrogen vacancy (NV) centres in diamonds, has the potential for many scientific and industrial applications. Professor Kasturi Saha explained: “Magnetometer is biocompatible, compact, and capable of providing high sensitivity — down to 10 nT/Hz — allowing it to measure even the smallest fluctuations in magnetic fields. The sensor’s stability at high temperatures and pressures and its portability make it ideal for use in challenging environments.”

IIT Bombay also unveiled the inSPEC CS 100, a user-friendly and cost-effective rebar cover meter based on pulsed eddy current technology. This tool, which is now commercialised through Nirixense Technologies, is designed for the structural inspection of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structures. Professor Siddharth Tallur stated: “It’s ideal for assessing the condition of rebars in RCC structures. It’s easy to use, cost-effective, and offers a reliable method for structural inspection, which is crucial for maintaining the safety and longevity of infrastructure.”

IIT-Madras: 3D printing technologies

From the IoE Research Centre on Additive Manufacturing at IIT-M came cutting-edge 3D printing technologies that can be utilised in aerospace, medical, defence, and automotive sectors. Elaborating on the transformative potential of additive manufacturing (AM), Professor Murugaiyan Amirthalingam elaborated, “AM is the process of joining material in a layer-by-layer fashion directly from a 3D model, creating objects with complex geometries. It minimises material waste and reduces inventory costs. We’re working on innovations for sectors such as aerospace, medical implants, defence, and automotive.” Amirthalingam’s team is exploring the use of 3D printing to create biocompatible medical implants and tools, such as the Co-Cr-Mo-Fe alloy for medical implants and super-alloys for high-temperature applications such as FIA Formula 4. The team has already achieved significant success with close to 200 surgical implantations using 3D-printed specific implants. “Our forging tools and fixtures developed through the LPBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion) process have shown a 40-50% increase in service life. We’ve also developed surface finishing techniques to improve the post-processing of medical implants,” he said.

IIT-Dhanbad: Mobile Hexapod Robot

An advanced robotic system designed for rugged terrain navigation, Mobile Hexapod Robot is controlled via ROS 2 and features a high-performance 1000 Hz feedback loop, ensuring precise and rapid movement. It boasts adaptive gaits that allow it to navigate various terrains with ease and stability. A faculty member from IIT Dhanbad explained, “Each leg of the robot operates independently, providing exceptional stability and manoeuvrability even in the most challenging environments. Its high-performance feedback loop ensures rapid and precise control, making it ideal for a variety of applications in robotics and automation.”

IIT-Tirupati: Energy-Efficient Porous Radiant Burner

According to Professor P Muthukumar, this environment-friendly burner addresses several issues associated with conventional cooking stoves, such as low thermal efficiency, high CO and NOx emissions, and inefficient cooking times. “The Porous Radiant Burner (PRB) offers up to 60% fuel savings and reduces emissions by up to 80%, making it a sustainable and cost-effective solution for both domestic and industrial applications. It extends the average lifespan of cooking appliances by 2-3 years and eliminates soot formation. Our burner works efficiently on all gaseous and liquid fuels, including LPG, CNG, PNG, and biogas. It has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of cooking,” he elaborated.

Fostering tech advancement a group effort: Union Min Sukanta Majumdar

Inaugurating IInvenTiv 2025 at IIT-Madras on Friday was Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar, who delivered the inaugural session. Majumdar said, “I’m sure that the industry leaders attending the event will find many of the technologies on display useful, leading to further tech transfers in the near future.” He also quoted the Tamil Sangam age philosopher, Kaniyan Poonkunranaar – Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir (everywhere is home, and all beings our kin), and quipped: “Fostering tech advancement is like pulling the Tiruvarur or Puri Jagannath temple chariots – oor koodi izhukkum ther (it takes the entire town working towards it). Virtually addressing the inaugural session was Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan who hailed the State for always being “a land of innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence and has given India some of the brightest entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists and researchers who have made significant contributions to nation building”.