Deeptech Co. Simpliforge with, Indian Army, Delivers World’s Highest On-Site 3D Printed Structure in Himalayan Range

In a monumental leap for defense infrastructure and construction technology, Simpliforge Creations and IIT Hyderabad, in collaboration with Indian Army represented by Arun Krishnan (who is also a PhD student at IIT-Hyderabad), have successfully delivered India’s first on-site 3D printed protective military structure at a staggering altitude of 11,000 feet above sea level in Leh under Project PRABAL.

This marks the world’s highest-ever in-situ 3D construction printing feat, accomplished under the extreme high altitude and low oxygen (HALO) conditions.

Under the guidance of Prof. K.V.L. Subramaniam of IIT-Hyderabad, Simpliforge Creations and IIT-Hyderabad Teams developed specialized 3D printing technology capable of operating under extreme environmental conditions. This innovation enabled the construction of a form-optimized protective bunker using locally sourced materials, completed over a total printing time of fourteen hours.

The PRABAL initiative showcases how homegrown technology and academic-industry collaboration can push the boundaries of construction science. The deployment of this 3D printed bunker is not only a first-of-its-kind in India but also sets the stage for rapid, on-site, deployable infrastructure in challenging terrains, further strengthening the country’s defense preparedness.

This groundbreaking project marks a convergence of engineering innovation, military utility, and the Make-in-India spirit—paving the way for future-forward infrastructure solutions.

Speaking on the occasion, Simpliforge Creations CEO Dhruv Gandhi stated "Executing this project in the high-altitude, low-oxygen environment of Ladakh was an immense operational challenge—for both our team and our machines. The Robotic printer system was set-up and commissioned in under 24 hours proving its agility & mobility. The reduced oxygen levels affected everything from power systems performance, which were delivering lower energy output than they would on normal plains, to human efficiency. The low humidity and high UV posed challenges in integrity of the built material. Despite these constraints, we were able to meet our production targets and deliver a robust structure within a record timeframe of 5 days.”

Prof KVL Subramaniam – IIT Hyderabad said, "One of the most critical aspects of this project was the development of specially engineered materials tailored to perform in extreme environmental conditions. Operating at high altitudes with low oxygen levels, low humidity and significant thermal variations required not just structural innovation, but also material science at its finest. Our team at IIT Hyderabad, in collaboration with Simpliforge Creations, designed a concrete mix that could be 3D printed on-site while offering superior mechanical performance, durability, and resilience. Before deployment, we conducted vigorous testing at IIT Hyderabad’s advanced facilities, including comprehensive studies on local sand and aggregates sourced from the region, rheology of mix. Understanding the material behaviour under simulated environmental stresses allowed us to optimize the mix design for on-site usage. This material innovation was fundamental to achieving the desired strength and structural integrity within such a challenging context."

Arun Krishnan commented, "Project Prabal was conceptualized and initiated during my M.Tech program at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. Several teams and companies had attempted to bring 3D printed construction to the high-altitude terrain of Leh, but the extreme conditions of Ladakh proved to be a formidable challenge. It was the unmatched synergy between Simpliforge Creations and IIT Hyderabad that finally made it possible. Their technical depth, adaptability, and relentless focus on innovation enabled the successful execution of Project PRABAL. Together, we didn’t just build a structure—we proved that indigenous, cutting-edge technology can overcome even the harshest operational environments and deliver tangible impact for our armed forces. The printed structure has undergone rigorous trials."

Hari Krishna Jeedipalli, MD - Simpliforge Creations said, “we've been pushing the boundaries of additive construction since 2022—from building India’s first 3D printed bridge, to the world’s first 3D printed place of worship, and the Indian Army’s first in-situ 3D printed medical facility using locally available material. Each project has been a leap forward, and this bunker in Ladakh marks a crucial milestone in our journey towards extra-terrestrial”.

“Looking ahead, we envision commercialising this technology for remote terrain applications and extending this beyond Earth—towards space habitats on the Moon and Mars. Printing in the extreme, open conditions of Ladakh has given us vital insights and validation for operating in extra terrestrial environments. It’s more than construction—this is a stepping stone on our journey into space deep tech. added Mr Hari

IIIT Hyderabad Now in India’s Elite Semiconductor Club of Few that Can Tape-Out Full Test Chip

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) has reached a significant milestone in the semiconductor domain. The Integrated Circuits inspired by Wireless and Biomedical Electronic Systems (IC~WiBES) lab at the Centre for VLSI and Embedded Systems Technologies (CVEST) at IIIT-H has made headlines with a historic chip tape-out and its selection into the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) prestigious Special Manpower Development Program (SMDP).

This achievement is particularly notable because chip design and fabrication are relatively uncommon in academic institutions in India, with only a few IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) engaging in such activities. The test chip was designed and fabricated by a team of MS students under the guidance of Prof. Abhishek Srivastava, and it includes advanced components crucial for modern communications, such as mmWave (near 20 GHz) and Sub-6 GHz circuits.

The lab's focus on R&D has led to innovations in healthcare, high-speed communication, and quantum sensing, using their own Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or commercially available components. The IC~WiBES lab has also developed an IC characterization facility and an electronic system design and test facility, which are being utilized by both the institute and external parties.

In the past, chip design and fabrication at the lab was typically undertaken in collaboration with other stakeholders, but a significant milestone was achieved with the designing and taping-out of a full test chip by a team of MS students at CVEST under the guidance of Prof. Srivastava.

The term "tape-out" is a significant milestone in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It refers to the point at which the design of an integrated circuit (IC) is finalized and sent to a semiconductor foundry for fabrication. This step marks the transition from the design phase to the production phase.

This milestone reflects the growing capabilities and contributions of Indian institutions in the global semiconductor industry, which is a critical part of the digital economy. It's an exciting development for the country's technological advancement and innovation in this field.

In the past, chip design and fabrication at the lab was typically undertaken in collaboration with other stakeholders, but a significant milestone was achieved with the designing and taping-out of a full test chip by a team of MS students at CVEST under the guidance of Prof. Abhishek Srivastava. While a tape-out or fabrication is not novel in itself, it is definitely uncommon for academic institutions in India. “Only a few IITs and the IISc do it,” says the Prof. Srivastava.

This achievement is part of the lab's selection into the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) prestigious SMDP program. The project aims to develop a complete mmWave (24GHz) sensing technological platform in India, marking a significant advancement in localized high-frequency technology development.

Furthermore, IIIT Hyderabad's semiconductor research has led to practical applications such as a wireless pneumonia detector, a safety device for factory workers to monitor vital signs, and radar-based healthcare applications for capturing heart and breath rate data of multiple subjects simultaneously.

Impact on Indian Semiconductor Ecosystem

The milestone achieved by IIIT-H in the semiconductor domain can have several impactful implications for the industry:

The success of IIIT-H in designing and fabricating advanced semiconductor components can inspire more academic institutions to engage in semiconductor research. This can lead to a surge in innovation, with new ideas and technologies emerging from research labs.

By involving students in such high-level projects, IIIT-H is contributing to the development of skilled professionals in the semiconductor field. This can help address the talent shortage in the industry and ensure a steady pipeline of qualified engineers.

Such milestones can foster stronger collaborations between academia and industry. Companies may partner with institutions like IIIT-H for research and development, leading to faster commercialization of new technologies.

Overall, the achievement by IIIT-H is not just a win for the institution but a significant step forward for the entire semiconductor industry in India and potentially on a global scale.

IIIT-Hyderabad Among Top-100 Institutions for 5G Use Case Lab

PM Modi virtually presented IIIT H 5G Lab Award

The 7th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) witnessed a remarkable moment as the Honorable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, virtually presented IIIT Hyderabad with the prestigious 5G Lab Award. This recognition marked a significant achievement for the institute, securing its place among the top 100 institutes in India. IIITH is among the three top institutes selected from the state of Telangana.

IIIT Hyderabad seen celebrating 5G Use Lab Award  which it received virtually from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The award ceremony was celebrated in the presence of jubilant students, dedicated faculty members, and enthusiastic staff. The event provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to capture memorable moments with esteemed guests, explore the innovative Smart City Living Lab, and interact with the dedicated team behind the 5G Use Case Lab.

DOT will be funding the infra for the 5G Labs for up to approximately Rs. 50 lakhs (80% CAPEX DOT and 20% CAPEX IIITH) and also support the OPEX for maintaining the infra for the next four years.

Faculty from SPCRC, CVEST, SERC, CSG, RRC will be part of IIITH’s 5G lab which is being anchored by its Smart City research centre.

A special presentation on the 5G Use Case Lab was conducted by Anuradha Vattem, Lead Architect of the Smart City Living Lab at IIIT Hyderabad. This presentation aimed to educate students about the various practical applications of 5G technology and the challenges it can help solve. It emphasized the lab's role in ensuring that students comprehensively understand the diverse areas of 5G applications.

Ms.Deepti and Mr.Shravan Kumar from the DOT along with the local BSNL team, played crucial roles in providing the required coordination and support. Their dedication and assistance significantly contributed to the success of the event.

The 7th Edition of the India Mobile Congress, held from October 27 to 29, aspires to bolster India's position as a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and exporting cutting-edge technologies like 5G, 6G, and AI. With over one lakh participants from 22 countries, including 5,000 CEO-level delegates, 230 exhibitors, 400 startups, and numerous stakeholders, IMC 2023 was a groundbreaking event.

As part of this initiative, the 'Aspire' startup program has been introduced to foster meaningful connections between startups, investors, and established businesses, further boosting India's progress.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in his inspirational address, urged all attendees to drive technological transformation in India through 5G technology. He underlined India's potential to lead the world in the upcoming 6G technology, setting the stage for the inauguration of IMC 2023.

Demo Day at IIIT Hyderabad: 11 Startups Pitched to 35+ Investors

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CIE-IIITH organized its semi-annual Demo Day on Wednesday. 11 startups from various programs pitched to over 35+ investors who were invited to the demo day. All 11 startups have interest from investors.

CIE is a 15-year-old incubator that in the early days was supported by DST, MEITY & DBT. CIE has so far supported 430+ startups and has seed-funded 38 startups. CIE-IIITH is also focusing on turning a new leaf in terms of infrastructure facilities, programmes and startup engagements focusing towards building a deep tech startup ecosystem.

Demo Day is an event where CIE-IIITH showcases its startups from various programs in the following domains: DeepTech, MedTech, Mediatech & Mobility startups. The startups at this demo day were spread across solution realms from IOT-AI for Industrial automation, CV-based game data analysis and surveying, gait analysis, post-operative brain care devices, Auto tech etc.

The Accelerator programs offer up to 40L seed funding, and technology help through research labs of ITH, along with strategy and GTM advisory leading up to initial customer traction The startups are from varied technologies like AI/ML, CV, NLP, AR/VR, working in various domains of manufacturing, data analysis, surveillance, asset tracking.

“Research Translation and research-backed startups are one of the core focuses of CIE’s accelerators given IIITH’s rich experience in deep technology research innovations. It's good to see more than 50+ investors joining our demo day and are interested in such deep tech innovation.” said Prof. Ramesh Loganathan, COO, CIE-ITH

Funds that attended include SucSeed Innovation Fund, Chennai Angels, Mumbai Angels, Venture Catalysts, Reflex Capital, Hyderabad Angels, Freeflow, Optum, Lead Angels, Startupxseed, Silver needle Ventures, DBS Bank, Sunrise Ventures, TCS, Anthill Ventures, Asterteq Ventures and many more. Most startups have got interest from investors for follow-up conversations.

CIE at IIIT Hyderabad Organises Generative AI Summit along with T-Hub and Nasscom DTC

CIE at IIIT Hyderabad (IIITH) organised a Generative AI Summit along with T-Hub and Nascomm DTC in the city on Wednesday. Over 50 high-tech startups were showcased at the Hyderabad Gen AI summit. 10 tech leaders deliberated on Gen AI use cases in BFSI and enterprise tech sectors. 20 curated startups presented their Gen AI solutions and VCs shared insights on the opportunities for Gen AI.

The BFSI panel deliberated on the Gen AI use cases in the financial sector. Tech Leaders Wells Fargo (Harish Mohan), Goldman Sachs (Alok Madhukar), Shreenivas P Rao, Mass Mutual (Rajesh V), and HSBC (Mamatha Madireddy), brought their insights and experiences in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance domain.

On the Enterprise Tech front, luminaries such as Abhay Tandon (TVS), Jayaram Valliyur (Uber), Sundar Srinivasan (Microsoft), Ravi Kappagantu (JPMC), and Vasudeva Verma (IIITH) shared insights and perspectives, delving into the latest trends and innovations within the enterprise technology landscape.

The Deeptech panel boasted a lineup including Prof CV Jawahar (IIITH), Prof Anoop Namboodiri (IIITH), Prof Manish Srivastava (IIITH), Vishnu (Subtl.Ai), Parikshit (DreamVu), Pavan Reddy (Neural Sync), and Srinivas Kolipara (Xelpmoc Design & Tech Limited). These accomplished individuals engaged in in-depth discussions surrounding cutting-edge developments in the realm of deep technology.

Lastly, the VCs panel comprised the expertise of Roopan Aulakh (Pi Ventures), Anagh Prasad (Accel), Vamshi (Kalaari), Rajeev Suri (Orios Ventures), and Srikanth Sundarajan (T-Hub), who provided valuable insights into the world of venture capital, startups, and investment strategies.

The topics of discussion were Enterprise Speak- Gen AI value real or fictional? For the BFSI panel where Leaders from Indian/MNC fintech companies deliberating on use-cases in BFSI, Generative AI in Enterprise Tech for Enterprise Tech panel, DeepTech Jugalbandi for the Deeptech Panel where 3 eminent IIITH professors, and the startup founders whose startup came out of their work in a fireside chat and The Winds, Generative AI trends that VCs see for the VC Panel where VCs reflected on how Gen AI companies are performing.

Specifically, a panel on research startups where professors and the startup founders had a conversation on how research startups go from lab to land.

20 curated startups showcased their Gen AI tech across conversational AI, video generation, data ML and analytical generatio: Subtl.AI, GenZ Technologies, OML.AI, Haptik, PureCode, PushpakTech, Smart Bot, Nuacem, Atai, Dave ai, Hirex Ai, Revition, Atomstate Technologies Private Limited, Voxta, Tryd.Ai, Ajna.Ai, Deeplobe, Matchday.Ai, Anantadi and the AI Studio.

A directory of Gen AI startups compiled and released. With 50 startups identified and profiled. Few lines brief on the profiles.

A comprehensive directory of cutting-edge Gen AI startups has been meticulously curated, encompassing 50 standout ventures. Each of these startups has been thoughtfully profiled to provide a concise yet insightful glimpse into their unique offerings and contributions to the Gen AI landscape. This compilation aims to offer attendees an unparalleled opportunity to familiarize themselves with the forefront of Gen AI innovation in Hyderabad. By perusing these profiles, attendees will gain a deep understanding of the diverse array of startups that are shaping the future of artificial intelligence in this dynamic city.

CIE at IIIT Hyderabad Commences the Summer 2023 Cohort of its AVISHKAR Deep Tech Accelerator

• Cohort started with 4 startups in deep tech, medtech, media tech and mobility domains, selected from over 200 applications.
• Startups will get up to INR 40L seed fund, strategy mentoring, research advisory and market access
• Since 2016, 26 cohorts 48 startups, and about 53% raising follow-on funding.

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at IIIT Hyderabad announced the onboarding of 4 startups for the Avishkar accelerator 2023 Summer cohorts of Deeptech, Mobility, Healthcare and Mediatech domains. Since the launch of Avishkar accelerator in 2016, there have been over 26 cohorts and 48 startups in AI, ML, IoT, and digital health with about 53% of them raising follow-on funding.

The Accelerator Kickoff was held from 29 May - 2 June 2023 with CIE’s panel mentors and experts from the industry. From an overwhelming application pool of 120+ startups, the selection committee shortlisted 6 startups for the program. The shortlisted startups were from domains of real-time data collection of patients' movements, Brain Health management, lithium-ion cell manufacturing, C-V2X, AI & Digital Twins and Web tools for mobile.

As a part of the Avishkar Accelerator, the selected startups will receive INR 40L seed fund along with a detailed 6-month plan that offers 4 streams of mentorship - Business Strategy, GoToMarket Plan, Technical Review and domain-specific mentorship. The program is facilitated jointly by CIE, IIIT Hyderabad, Co-creation Consulting, and SucSeed Indovation fund among other industry leaders. The program also opens avenues for startups through IIITH’s research support and collated networks and Corporate Connects.

Prof. Ramesh Loganathan, COO of CIE-IIITH says “Very happy to see Avishkar in its 7th year. A program that connects deep tech startups, research and market access, thru a structured 6-month accelerator program”

The startups shortlisted for this cohort are:

• NxtQ aims to provide accurate and real-time data about a patient's movements, allowing prosthetists and orthotics to create customized devices that better match their needs.
• Nirvesh Enterprises aims to provide Post Operative Brain Health Management. They plan to provide this through products related to neuro-care.
• Petrol Social aims to bring all the tools found on PCs and the web to mobile. Tools such as content creation platforms, and smart legos on mobile.
• Eranext Auto enables Vehicles To Communicate With Each Other And Their Surrounding Infrastructure, Including Pedestrians And Other Road Users.

About IIIT-Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.

Website: www.iiit.ac.in

About CIE IIIT Hyderabad: The Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) was set up in 2008 and has since grown to be the largest academic incubator in the country. CIE-IIITH was supported by DST (TBI) and MeitY (TIDE) in the initial years. Today, there are very active programs focused on emerging technology startups, research-based startups, medical technologies, and social technology startups. In the past 14 years, CIE has housed over 300+ startups that have raised about 200 Cr in funding and created over 2000 jobs.

For further information, please contact: Sunory Dutt, Head of Communications, IIIT-Hyderabad.

IIIT Hyderabad and NALSAR Host a Roundtable on AI in Legal and Judicial System

• An industry-academia dialogue on opportunities and challenges for AI
• Opportunities like lawyer bots, bail bits, and pro bono legal tech were discussed
• VC NALSAR and Director IIITH chaired the roundtable

IIIT Hyderabad hosted a roundtable meeting on AI in legal, jointly with NALSAR. A curated session on the possible scope of the Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Legal and Judicial System in India, opportunities and challenges.

The confluence session of law firms, policy think tanks, NALSAR faculty, IIITH faculty and startups deliberated on the use cases, problems, challenges, and potential solution possibilities. With a focus on four dimensions: AI as a supporting tool in the practice of law; to adhere to due process of law; Should AI Practice Law?; AI in delivering Judgements?

The roundtable was chaired by Prof. Srikrishna Deva Rao, Vice Chancellor, NALSAR University, and Prof. P. J. Narayanan, Director IIITH. Panellists included Professors from IIITH, NALSAR & IIT Kanpur, law leaders from Samvad Partners, policy and community groups OpenNyAI & CDPP, and startup subtl.ai. Discussions covered problems, solutions, constraints, and technology challenges.

Panel identified AI use cases in Legal Research, Document and Content Discovery Process, Contract Drafting and Review activities. AI and NLP play a crucial role in building the language processing tools in understanding the substance and implications of key words searches and contract language.

Prof. Srikrishna Deva Rao, Vice Chancellor, NALSAR University stressed the importance of academic interactions between IIITH Hyderabad and NALSAR should lead to academic/research collaborations educating lawyers and technologists together. He expressed that he strongly believes technology will enhance justice for everybody but would not replace/substitute human jurisprudence. Also suggesting that lawyers should learn program development, learn about AI/ML, Data science. He advocated small courses for lawyers in documents review, judgement review and contract analysis. He talked about legal accountability in the use of AI systems in the legal systems. He also noted the bias and potential for psychological and emotional harm in the use of AI.

Prof P J Narayanan, Director, IIIT Hyderabad, in his opening remarks, said, “It is good to see the AI Tech world and people from law coming together” He noted how Mr. F. C. Kohli was concerned about backlogs in the Indian court system, noted the diversity in the legal system and the need to address the problems from the basics. He also commented on how it has become possible for AI systems to help significantly in the legal process but warned about over-reliance on AI systems cautioning about biases inherent in these systems.

The deliberations will be detailed in a white paper to be published shortly.

About IIIT Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, Quantum Computing and Quantum Information, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.

Website: www.iiit.ac.in

First-of-Its-Kind Quantum Solution Lab Coming Up at IIIT Hyderabad in Partnership with Synergy Quantum India

Synergy Quantum Solution Lab to be set up by IIIT Hyderabad in partnership with Synergy Quantum India Ltd.

First-of-its-kind solution lab will design and build quantum solutions, starting with quantum encryption, QKD, quantum communications, and more

The proposed lab at IIIITH is poised to make significant contributions to the field

International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH) entered a strategic partnership with Synergy Quantum India (SQ India) to establish the Synergy Quantum Solution Lab (SQSL@IIITH).

The collaboration aims to develop financially feasible quantum technologies and their applications in both military and civilian use cases.

The Synergy Quantum Solution Lab will focus on researching and developing quantum communications technologies, with a special focus on post-quantum encryption, quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum random number generators, quantum sensing, including quantum navigation.

The partnership is a significant milestone for IIITH as it continues to drive innovation and make an impact in the world of quantum technologies.

Prof. P J Narayanan, Director, IIIT Hyderabad said, “IIITH has one of the most extensive quantum computing research groups in the country”. He further mentioned that the new Quantum Solution Lab will add a significant dimension to the research, making it yet another research translation lab for the institute. He expressed enthusiasm for the quantum solutions that could be developed for defense and other sectors through this initiative."

The Synergy Quantum Solution Lab on the IIITH campus will employ full-time engineers, work alongside academicians and research students, and feature business development managers, all of whom will work together to conduct professional translational research, development, and commercialization of quantum solutions. This one-of-a -kind Lab in India is being jointly funded by Synergy Quantum and IIITH.

The Lab will be under the leadership of Prof. Arun Pati, who has been in the World Rank List of Top 2% of Scientists recently published by Stanford University. He is among the Top 1% of Scientists in General Physics which includes Quantum Computing, as reported by Stanford University. He is also no 1 of World’s most famous Quantum Information Scientists in Google search. Speaking about the initiative, Prof. Arun K. Pati welcomed the idea, noting that “it would pave the way for the translation of fundamental research in quantum information into practical technological developments.

SQ is a leader in the quantum revolution, developing high-impact industry solutions that utilize advanced quantum communications technologies.

According to Jay Oberai, founder & CEO of Synergy Quantum India, "We are very excited in partnering with IIIT Hyderabad on developing and commercialising some very interesting technologies within the field of Quantum secure communication, Quantum secure Data storage and Quantum-Safe Private 5G Networks. This alliance is poised to advance the development of quantum technologies and contribute to the growth of the quantum industry in India.”

To recall, it was in late 2020 when "Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)" was unveiled as a new technology developed by DRDO's Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) and DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory (DYSL-CT).

Last year in August, it was reported that QNu Labs, a Bengaluru-based Deep Tech Start-up, supported by the Defence Ministry's iDEX, has done successful trials of QKD system and even equipping Indian Army with Quantum Communication technology. 

INR 2.5 Cr Funding Won by Social Startups From IIIT Hyderabad's Social Incubator AIC-IIITH

• Social Startups supported by AIC-IIITH, IIITH’s social incubator have won INR 2.5 Cr funding support from Government of India and showcased at various G20 startup meetings.
• Two startups from green energy and animal husbandry space have been selected for INR 1 Cr each from AIM, NITI Aayog’s ANIC and accessibility tech startup for INR 50 lakhs of BIRAC’s BIG grant.
• AIC-IIITH, which supports tech-based Social Startupshas supported 41+ social startups and facilitated creation of 300+ jobs and INR 2+ Cr of funding.

We need to move toward achieving sustainable and inclusive growth to help India achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). As part of this Atal New India Challenge (ANIC) a flagship program of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has selected AIC-IIITH’s Social Startups Jivoule Biofuels, a Hyderabad-based green energy company and Verdant Impact, a Jaipur-based animal husbandry platform for funding of INR 1Cr each. This amount will be disbursed after the startups successfully complete the due-diligence process.

A big part of achieving SDGs also included supporting People with Disabilities. Recognizing this, AIC-IIITH’s SunQulp Tech has been selected for a grant of INR 50 Lakh from Biotech Ignition Grant (BIG), the largest early-stage biotech funding programme in India. BIG is the flagship programme of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology.

AIC-IIITH’s vision is “Catalyzing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using technology to become a thought leader in the space of technology for social impact.” This aligns with ANIC’s aim “to seek, select, support and nurture technology-based innovations that solve sectoral challenges of national importance and societal relevance.” Similarly BIG which seeks ‘provides the right admixture of fuel and support to young startups and entrepreneurial individuals’ align with AIC-IIITH’s goals to “Validate prototypes and business models to help move India ahead in achieving the U.N. SDGs.” Thus, AIC-IIITH’s tech-based social startups are a perfect fit for these programmes.

Jivoule Biofuels founded by Chandrasekhar Nandigama is working to set up a compressed biogas plant in Hyderabad. They recently started operating a biogas-based power generation plant in Tirupur.

Verdant Impact run by Founder and CEO Manish K. Prahlad is a full-stack animal husbandry platform. The platform provides farmers with backward and forward linkages for purchase and sale of livestock and services like Animal ICU, a digital livestock healthcare ecosystem.

SunQulp started by the team of Amit Panwar (Founder) and Dushyant Kumar (Co-Founder) have created SmartVest, a low-cost, one of its kind, unique navigation solution for the visually impaired people to help them in their movement. It is a wearable vest that guides the wearer while walking by talking to them in human voice and gives them real-time information about their path and the obstacles to avoid, helping them go places with confidence.

Congratulating the Startups, Prof. Ramesh Loganathan, Director of AIC-IIITH said, “This financial investment by AIM and BIRAC in AIC-IIITH startups validates and reaffirms our approach of seeking to support the use of technology by social entrepreneurs to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges faced by India.”

Jivoule Biofuels was part of AIC-IIITH’S Raftaar - Covid Acceleration Program supported by EPAM Systems as part of its ESG commitment. Verdant Impact and SunQulp Tech are part of the 3rd cohort of Akash, AIC-IIITH’s Flagship Incubation Program.

AIC-IIITH’s Startups Jivoule Biofuels, Verdant Impact and Next Skills 360 were also part of various G20 startup meetings organized by the government across India.

AIC-IIITH Foundation, social tech incubator of IIITH, runs multiple cohorts of social startups under various programs like Akash, flagship incubation program and Dhanush Micro Incubation program. AIC-IIITH has also run programs funded by various corporate partners like EPAM, HDFC and Pernod Ricard India Foundation, providing grants to startups. Till date AIC-IIITH has supported 41+ startups, created 300+ jobs and facilitated INR 2+ Cr of funding in diverse social impact sectors like Medtech, Agritech, Greentech, Climate, Edtech etc. AIC-IIITH startups raised INR 75+ cr in funding till date. 

AIC-IIITH Foundation is an Atal Incubation Center set up exclusively for incubating and supporting tech-based social enterprises. It seeks to deploy entrepreneurial energy and technological innovation for social impact to help India achieve the SDGs. Supported by the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India, AIC-IIITH FOUNDATION also seeks to nurture the social enterprise ecosystem by acting as a platform for sharing ideas and insights. With over 10,000 sq. ft space consisting of co-working spaces, conference room, meeting space and other facilities, AIC-IIITH FOUNDATION aims to provide collaborative space to entrepreneurs. These benefits are further enhanced by the multiplying effect of agglomeration effects and network effects of being situated in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), IIIT-Hyderabad, which is a cluster of incubation centers, research labs and resources.

For further information, please contact at: aiciiith@gmail.com or For details visit our Website -https://aic.iiit.ac.in/ and for update follows on Facebook-www.facebook.com/AICIIITH Twitter- @IiithAic and LinkedIn-linkedin.com/in/aic-iiith-foundation-12ab541a1/


IIIT Hyderabad is the first IIIT to be set up in the country, in 1998. IIIT Hyderabad is a research university that ranks in the country for research in various areas of computer science. IIITH also strongly emphasises on translating research into products and startups. To enable this, the Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE)was set up in 2008, which has since grown to be the largest academic incubator in the country. The Centre has very active programs across the spectrum of a startup journey. Entrepreneurship courses and workshops for students, Product Labs to seed new products from research, a pre-incubation program to help entrepreneurs create new startups, incubation to nurture early-stage startups, mentoring programs to improve strategy and business development of the startups, investor pitch days, and several talks/workshops from experts and successful entrepreneurs. CIE-IIITH was supported by DST (TBI) and MeitY (TIDE) in the initial years. Today, there are very active programs focused on emerging technology startups, research-based startups, medical technologies, and social technology startups. In the past 14 years, CIE has housed over 450+ startups that have raised about 250 Cr funding and created over 2500 jobs.

IIIT Hyderabad AI Search Startup, SUBTL.AI Raises Angel Funding

• Angel round of $100k raised from angels including Mohit Gulati of ITI growth opportunities fund and G Vamshi Raju from Edha Investments and Shreyas Media
• Subtl.ai is a Cognitive AI search technology for enterprises to find information from large documents and text resources
• Edtech, product support and risk governance are major target segments, with customers like State Bank of India, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and Talentsprint

Subtl.ai closes angel investment from new age investors in the Indian ecosystem, Mohit Gulati (ITI Growth opportunities fund) and Vamshi Raju (Edha Investments, Shreyas Media). Their product can understand knowledge sources at scale, to instantly answer any questions asked from documents, websites, videos and knowledge bases.

Subtl.ai is a product powered by cognitive search technology, built jointly with IIIT Hyderabad research. The product ensures that enterprises can instantly leverage all their business knowledge locked in various sources, by talking to an AI over a chat interface.

“Subtl.ai has been way ahead of its time, building out the base technology and staying prepared for its window of opportunity. With the advent of chatGPT, their window is here, time to go big or go home!”, said the lead investor in the round, Mohit Gulati (Founder – of ITI Growth Opportunities fund).

Some of the core use cases for the product include automating doubt resolution for e-learning, information support for project/product management, and AI assistants to help support teams resolve tickets 2x faster.

As of today, they are live for customers State Bank of India, Bharat Dynamics and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. For Marquee customer SBI, they are saving 90% of information overheads for 250,000 employees looking for information during core branch operations and customer relations.

Subtl.ai is now coming towards the end of its first sales funnel cohort, with evaluations underway with ed-techs, airports, legal research teams, banks and SaaS platform integrations. They expect to hit $5 million in ARR through 500,000 business users by the end of 2023, coming from initial market traction in the US and market expansion in India through early tech adopters.

“We started subtl.ai with the vision to enable enterprises to unlock information locked in large text resources and documents. Using ML based language and knowledge models, combined with generative AI. Interestingly, our AI tech can also help find information in videos”, says Vishnu Ramesh, Founder subtl.ai.

IIIT Hyderabad and Pravaha Foundation Organised Hackathon on 'Sustainability through Technology'

International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) in collaboration with Pravaha Foundation conducted recently a PAN India Hackathon for students between the ages of 10-17 years.

A total of 55 teams(3-4 students in each) registered in two categories from different cities of India. There were 3 stages of filtration in the hackathon and the final stage was conducted physically at IIITH campus. 

The topic of the Hackathon was 'Sustainability through Technology'. The purpose of the Hackathon was to build solutions using technology for Climate Change issues, and to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) no.10 and 13.

For the final phase, the 1st category(10-13yrs) tried to find solutions for the problem statement on Automated water management- Monitor and control usage of water. The 2nd category (14-17yrs) tried to build solutions around Automated Disaster management (including forest fire, litho-disaster and water borne disasters). Participants worked upon their solution model for 2 days in their respective teams at IIITH campus using Robotics, IoT, and App Development combinations to execute the solutions.

For the finale, 3 faculty members from IIITH (Prof Ramesh Loganathan, Prof Hari K and Prof Prakash Yalla), 2 faculty members from Mahindra University and economists(Asst Prof. KeertiPendyal and Asst Prof. Anjali Rajan), Environmentalist/Founder of The rainwater projectKalpana Ramesh, and Advisor, Agustya International Foundation- M G Subramanian were invited to evaluate the teams based on their solutions and presentations.

On the last day, the panel members not only evaluated the model solutions presented by kids but also gave them suggestions/opportunities to apply the prototype and extend it to the real-life implementation.

Everyone including mentors, judges and organizing team were impressed by the enthusiastic, innovative, and conscious young mindset of participants. It gave us a ray of hope towards building a sustainable world in future.

The Hackathon developed problem solving abilities, design thinking capability, presentation and entrepreneurial skills, and environmental awareness amongst the students. Winners and runners-up in the Finals received mementos, cash prizes of up to 25,000/- and certificates. They will also be provided with the opportunity to participate in the next international Hackathon organized by Pravaha.

About IIIT-Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.

Website: www.iiit.ac.in

Innovation Day at IIT Hyderabad Concludes on a Note for Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Idea to Being Implement, IIT Hyderabad celebrates first-of-its-kind Innovation Day with a showcase of 30 Implement-ready Innovations

We are working towards Sustainable Entrepreneurship said, DST Secretary, Dr S Chandrasekhar

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hand-holding of Startups will be the main focus of the New Innovation Policy of the Government of India to ensure sustainable entrepreneurship
• From Personal Care to Environment Care, E-waste Management to Sustainable Society, Ready to Industry Implementation Innovations was part of IITH’s Innovation Day.
• Campus Connect Campaign 4.0 Innovation Day, IITH is a platform for collaborations between Startups, Industry, Academia, and tech transfer-ready innovations
• TIP & TRP buildings with 1,50,000 Sqft each are all ready to nurture this innovative idea and boost entrepreneurship for a sustainable tomorrow

In line with the Hon’ble Prime Minister's Vision of Lab to Land, IIT Hyderabad to translate Ideas for the betterment of Humanity. Knowing the value of an idea lies in making use of it. As IITH elegantly enters its Crystal Year, IIT Hyderabad takes this esteemed opportunity to celebrate the first of its kind Innovation Day, a day specifically dedicated to providing a platform for collaborations between Startups, Industry, Academia, and tech transfer-ready innovations.

This Innovation Day is another step by IITH towards proactively taking the Industry-Academia relationship forward. Knowledge drives innovation, innovation drives a nation’s growth, and each growing nation makes the global village a sustainable society for humankind, this is what IIT Hyderabad believes in as well and we proudly elaborate on IITH as Inventing and Innovating in Technology for Humanity.

The inaugural event was graced by Guest of Honor, Dr Srivari Chandrasekhar (Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India) & Sri. Srikanth Velamakanni (Co-founder, Group Chief Executive & Vice-Chairman, Fractal Analytics); in the kind presence of Dr BVR Mohan Reddy (BoG Chair, IIT Hyderabad) & Prof B S Murty (Director, IIT Hyderabad). Due to some urgent commitment, Chief Guest, Shri Kishan Reddy (Hon. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeastern Region of India, Govt. of India), could not witness the event & send this wishes for the success of it.

7 Enablers, 15 Researchers’ Innovations & 15 Start-ups’ Innovations in the area of Personal to Environmental care, Nano Formulation to Battery Management; IITH showcased the Vivid & Vibrant Ecosystem of Inventing & Innovating in Technology in Humanity with the display of 30 Proud Industry-ready Innovations. The List is enclosed below of this article to enliven your curiosity to be part of this extravaganza.

Prof B S Murty, Director, IITH

Prof B S Murty, Director, IITH, said, “IIT Hyderabad has inculcated innovation in its DNA from its with fractal academics system and many innovative UG/PG programs like a BTech in Engineering Sciences, Computational Engineering, MTech in Medical Device Innovation, etc. With a motto to be the leader in Innovation and to think out of the box, we started many interdisciplinary programs. IIT Hyderabad cultivates a strong innovation culture among students by the BUILD (Bold and Unique Ideas Leading to Development) Projects, where a call for innovative proposals is done twice a year, and the selected projects are given funding support up to Rs 1 Lakh, to begin with and then further supported as they proceed and we provide 6 credits for the students to pursue their innovative projects.”

Prof S Suryakumar, Dean (Innovation, Translation and Startups), IITH, gave a roundup of Innovation Day’23 and, said, “Innovation is an idea that has a user connect or a market connect, it is always developed in context with the requirements of the end user i. e. commercialisation or a utilization. Innovation can be done by an individual entrepreneur with adequate passion. Innovation is driven by passion and supported by resources, in this context IIT Hyderabad facilitates those passionate innovators might be the Students, Faculty or the entrepreneurs outside IIT etc by helping them get the right ecosystem and right platform to make their idea into a working prototype and then into a successful product. IITH provides a vibrant ecosystem to address the various parts of innovation with 3 incubators iTIC, CfHE, and FabCI and we have Technology Centres like TiHAN and Industry hubs like Research Park. IITH also has an Institute Innovation Policy to integrate all these Hubs together. The exhibition of today is the result of all the entrepreneurship activities at IITH. They are categorized into 3 Facilitators, Technologies developed by the students and faculty of IITH, and work done by the Startups of IITH”.

Dr BVR Mohan Reddy, BoG Chair, IIT Hyderabad, said, “here are two consumers of Academic Research one is Industry and another is Startups, there was a need to bring the two on one table. I am happy about this Innovation Day initiative by IITH brings this platform alive.”

Dr Srivari Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, Distinguished Professor at IITH, and former Director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, emphasizing on Sustainable Entrepreneurship, said, “Innovations need to be benchmarked beyond our imagination to serve the larger community of the World and they need to be market competitive so that they can create employment. Having more startups is not the right growth, we are looking for sustainable entrepreneurship by providing adequate support.”

Sri Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-founder, Group Chief Executive & Vice-Chairman, Fractal Analytics explained that “Human Creativity has been augmented by Artificial Intelligence now the AI is going to change the shape and future of humankind and from there we can drive Innovation through AI. AI is not taking our jobs but rather facilitating us, it divides employability into those who know AI and those who do not.”

Wearable Device that can monitor pregnancy 

Link to all 30 Innovations: 30 Proud Innovations of IITHID.pdf

Link to Burn Care AV: Nanofiber Airbrush Prototype: Nanofiber Airbrush Prototype 1.3.mp4

Electronic Release (Inaugural Event): 

Electronic Release (Book Launch Event): https://youtube.com/live/exrCVnTpPhc

About IIT Hyderabad

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) is one of the eight new IITs established by the Government of India in 2008. In a short span of 14 years, the institute has become a top-ranker. It has 290+ full-time faculty, ~4,200 students, 18 Departments + Centre for Interdisciplinary Programs, nearly 200+ state-of-the-art laboratories, and five research and entrepreneurship centers. The institute has a strong research focus with approx. Rs ~700 crores of sanctioned research funding, with PhD scholars accounting for about 30% of total student strength. IITH has more than 8100+ research publications with 1,20,000+ Citations, 190+ Published Patents, 2,000+ sponsored/consultancy projects with 500+ running projects, and about 100+ startups that have generated more than 1000 jobs and a revenue of Rs. 800 Cr.

To know more, please visit https://www.iith.ac.in/.

iHub-Data at IIIT Hyderabad Launches Minor UG Engineering Program in Modern Machine Learning

iHub-Data, the technology innovation hub established by IIIT Hyderabad, is embarking on a novel mission to assist technical institutions and universities (possessing academic autonomous status) for offering a BTech (minor) degree program in Modern Machine Learning from the academic year 2023 onwards.

Machine learning is pervading into a multitude of disciplines in engineering and technology. There is a growing need for the foundations of this discipline to be imbibed early on, at undergraduate level in engineering itself, and to make it more affordable to students willing to be proficient in the domain. With such an objective in mind this program is launched.

Over the past decade, faculty at IIIT Hyderabad had started engaging themselves in shaping the syllabus, lecture contents and practical hands-on tutorials, and exploring ways for offering a skilled program covering fundamentals of modern machine learning. These discussions culminated in a 50-week program on Foundations of Modern Machine Learning, currently offered via iHub-Data to Indian UG students pursuing a career in engineering. With learnings incorporated from its engagement with these students, there has been a growing realisation that this program be also offered as a regular academic program of any university/technical institution.

Access to all requisite learning resources including hands on tuturials would be extended to institutions agreeing to offer this minor program - facilitating these institutions to offer it as a regular on-campus classroom program. An MoU with iHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad would need to be signed by institutions willing to be part of this network, who would then be able to offer the course for a block period of four years, starting from 2023 onwards.

More details of the minor program and link to register, are available at https://ihub-data.iiit.ac.in/programs/courses/minor-degree-in-machine-leak90rning/

About IIIT Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.Website: www.iiit.ac.in

Megathon 2022 by IIIT Hyderabad’s E-Cell Witnessed Over 700 Participants From 30 Colleges

IIIT Hyderabad’s Entrepreneurship Cell (E-cell) conducts annual flagship Megathon ‘22

Over 700 participants from 30 colleges

IIIT Hyderabad’s Entrepreneurship Cell conducted its annual flagship event, Megathon 2022, that witnessed over 700 participants from 30 colleges. The event was highly successful in garnering the most entrepreneurial and technology driven youth from across the region. This staggering participation also makes Megathon '22 IIIT Hyderabad’s largest hackathon to date. It was a 24-hour hackathon involving 4 problem statements: 2 from their Title Sponsor Stellantis, 1 from Associate Sponsor Qualcomm, and the social problem from Raj Reddy Centre for Technology and Society (RCTS).

After a gruelling round of pitches, team "AlphaQueue" emerged as winners for the first problem statement by Stellantis while team "Pied Piper" won the second one. Team "Le Boys" took home the Qualcomm prize and finally "Hack Your Mom" and "What the Hack" jointly won the social problem round. 

Since 2016, Megathon has been conducted annually, and is growing every year. Last year it was conducted online, but this year it was offline, bringing in new challenges. These challenges were dealt with by the student team at E-cell, making Megathon the largest student – run Hackathon conducted at IIITH.

The opening ceremony of the event was graced by talks from several distinguished speakers. Prof. Ramesh Loganathan kickstarted the event by introducing the students to CIE (Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), IIIT Hyderabad’s own start-up incubator. He was followed by Prof. CV Jawahar, Dean RnD, IIIT Hyderabad and CEO of CIE, and finally Prof. Kannan Srinathan, who talked to students about the entrepreneurial spirit of problem solving. The event was filled with enthusiastic participants who kept the energy high throughout the event.

After one round of selection by the pre-jury, 23 teams presented their lightning pitches to the final jury in the closing ceremony.

The final jury comprised of Alok Madhukar - Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, Anish Anthony - Angel Investor and CDO of T-Hub, Murali Talasila - Innovator and ex-PWC Risk Management partner, Saurabh Kumar - CEO of GMR Cargo, Madhusudanan Kandasamy - Qualcomm and Rahul Rajupalepu - Vice President and Head of India Digital Hub of Stellantis. They not only judged the lightening pitches presented by the finalists, but also gave the participants valuable inputs and insight.

The shortlisted Stellantis problem statement winners all get to be a part of a much larger hackathon and participate to get their best ideas reviewed.

The event closed with the prize distribution ceremony, followed by a photo session with all the winners and with the people who made the enthralling event a reality.

About IIIT-Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.

Website: www.iiit.ac.in

A Web based IDE Platform, Cloudworx Raises Funds from SucSEED Indovation Fund

Cloudworx Technologies Pvt Ltd, has secured Seed Capital from Hyderabad headquartered SucSEED Indovation Fund as well as IIIT Hyderabad, Expert Dojo, and other angel investors.

With a combination of “No-code + IoT + 3D”, Cloudworx has created a platform that allows users to create 3D applications for the Enterprise Metaverse as Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Platform.

Cloudworx Studio is a web-based IDE that lets users build applications and workflows for 3D content without writing any code. Their current focus is to build applications for the Enterprise Metaverse in the form of digital twins that are powered by real-time data from sensors, equipment, processes, and interactions.

Unlike other Digital-Twin builders, Cloudworx allows users to import custom 3D models, create animations, interactions, workflows and alerts on them; and link them with real-time IoT sensors data to build digital twins in a no-code fashion.

Incorporated in Dec 2019, Cloudworx launched the first version of their product during the first Pandemic wave and has expanded to clients across US and EU markets over the past two years with marquee clients in energy, utility, manufacturing, and e-governance.

Yuvraj Tomar, the Founder and CEO of Cloudworx said, “Going through tons of graphs, charts, and dashboards is very cumbersome and painful for business owners. That's why they are adopting the Enterprise Metaverse in the form of digital twins. However, it's not a simple task to create a working, scalable, and living virtual replica of your factories in 3D. It's really complicated, and requires a specialized 3D development team to do the job; thus out of the reach of many businesses. This is where we step in to bridge the gap by bringing the capabilities of NoCode into a 3D workspace that allows businesses to build 3D apps without writing any code or having to depend on a 3D team.”

He further added that “Seed funding raised from SucSEED Indovation Fund as well as such established Angel Investors, will help us strengthen our existing partner channels and add more muscle to our product of ering. We intend to launch the product in a Freemium SaaS of ering by 4Q and open up a new market category - "citizen developers for the metaverse", in a domain that has only comprised game-engine and Web3 developers till date.”

Speaking on their investment reasons, Vikrant Varshney Co-Founder & Managing Partner of SucSEED Indovation Fund, said, “Based on a report by Fortune Business Insights, metaverse market size was valued at USD 63.83Bn in 2021. The report forecasts that the market is projected to grow from USD 100.27Bn in 2022 to USD 1,527.55Bn by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 47.6% during the period. Low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms are gaining momentum to cut down software development cycles. Cloudworx dif erentiates itself from others by focusing on building 3D no code editors to build metaverse maps for real time monitoring of locations. Whereas, most of the startups in this space are building no code platform to build only apps. We wanted to help Cloudworx to scale with many businesses & segments for rapid adoption”

About SucSEED Indovation Fund - SucSEED Indovation Fund (SIF) is a SEBI regulated AIF Cat-1 Venture Capital Angel Fund with ₹100 crore corpus with clear focus on early-stage tech seed initiative. General Partners of the Indovation Fund have 100+ years of cumulative experience within technology, fund management, and start-up ecosystem and have already invested in 60+ startups. SIF attempts to support Indian Innovation for mass needs in the following Six (6) sectors - EdTech, FinTech, Health-tech, Security & RegTech, EnterpriseTech SaAS and Digital Economy & Emerging Tech, including Gaming & MediaTech.

About Cloudworx

Founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 alums and former Qualcomm execs (CXOs), Cloudworx is the creator of Cloudworx Studio, a no-code platform for building Enterprise Metaverse applications.

Problem(s) that Cloudworx is addressing:

Going through tons of graphs, charts, and dashboards is very cumbersome and painful for business owners. That's why they are adopting the Enterprise Metaverse in the form of Digital twins. From a survey conducted by Gartner, 75% of businesses want to implement digital twins, but only 13% have implemented it so far; the other 62% have it on their roadmap but find it hard. It's really complicated,
requires a specialized 3D development team and specialized engineers to do the job; This is where Cloudworx steps in to bridge the gap by bringing the capabilities of NoCode into a 3D workspace that
allows businesses to build 3D apps without writing any code or having to depend on a 3D team.

Solution:

The product, Cloudworx Studio, is a web-based IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that lets
users build applications and workflows for 3D content without writing any code. Its current focus is to
build applications for the Enterprise Metaverse in the form of digital twins that are powered by real-time data from sensors, equipment, processes, and interactions. Users can import their 3D models, create animations, interactions, workflows and alerts on them; and link them with real-time IoT sensors data to build digital twins in a no-code fashion.

Team of Cloudworx

MeitY Startup Hub and Meta Selects IIIT Hyderabad Foundation (CIE) as the Implementation Partner From the Southern Zone for the XR Startup Program

• Hon'ble Union Minister of State Shri. Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the program
• XR Startup program will have an Accelerator and a Grand Challenge. Focusing on startups in gaming and entertainment using XR technologies
• 10 early-stage startups will receive INR 20 Lacs each as grant through the accelerator program
• 20 innovators will receive INR 50K each, top 4 among that will receive INR 20 Lacs each as grant through the grand challenge

MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, GoI, and Meta, on 14 Sept 2022, announced the launch of XR Startup Program to support and accelerate XR technology startups across India. This initiative, focuses on skilling and building technological capabilities for the metaverse and will help shape the ecosystem for the emerging technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in the country.

IIIT Hyderabad foundation (CIE) is selected as one of the 4 implementation partners for the program across the country. Earlier this week, Gujarat's GUSEC also selected as one of the implementation partners for the Program.

The Accelerator Program will support 40 early-stage start-ups working in XR technologies with a grant of Rs 20 lakhs each. Further, the Grand Challenge will encourage early-stage innovators in sectors like Education, Learning and Skills, Healthcare, Gaming and Entertainment, Agritech & Climate Action and Tourism & Sustainability. For the grand challenge the innovators will be provided support to upscale from the R&D phase to developing workable products and services. At first 80 innovators will be shortlisted to attend a bootcamp, out of which, a total of 16 innovators will be provided grants of Rs 20 lakhs each and further support to help them develop Minimum Viable Product (MVP)/ prototypes.

Head of the Incubator with Union MoS Shri. Rajeev Chandrashekar

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “It is an important day in terms of achieving Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of making the next 10 years as India’s Techade - full of opportunities for young Indians. It is also an important milestone in area of Metaverse which is an important part of emerging future of the internet. I look forward to the collaboration with Meta and I hope it provides the necessary impetus towards fueling the growth of investments in future technologies in line with the government vision for making India a trillion-dollar economy by 2025.”

Speaking on how the Digital India Programme launched in 2015 has transformed citizens lives, governance & democracy, catalyzed India’s Digital economy & created significant capabilities in emerging technologies, the Minister said “According to PM’s Digital India vision, it is clear that India is no longer going to be a consumer of Technology but become a leader in producing emerging technologies”.

Emphasizing on the potential of Indian Startups from tier 2/3 cities & how the Narendra Modi government is committed in encouraging them, the Minister further added, “Young Indian Startups, especially from tier 2/3 cities, will play a significant role in emerging tech areas like Web 3.0, blockchain, AI, Metaverse etc. and will shape the future of technology and the internet for India and the world.

Sharing his views on the collaboration, Mr. Joel Kaplan, Vice President, Global Policy, Meta, said, “India will play a pivotal role in defining future technologies. Decisions and investments made here in India now shape global discussions on how technology can deliver more economic opportunity and better outcomes for people. It is critical that we help to create an ecosystem that will enable India's tech startups and innovators to build the foundations of the metaverse.”

The use cases that IIITH will be focusing are from gaming and entertainment domains. Startups will be benefited with mentorship by industry expert, IIITH technology support and research connect as well as opportunity to present at industry events. Extended Reality comes from the combination of AR, VR and MR technologies. Gaming in the metaverse helps the user experience the game in real time while also allowing them to interact better with other gamers in a multiplayer environment. VR also helps the gamer control the playable characters better unlocking the complete potential of gaming.

“The XR startup program could be a breakthrough to the quicker integration of AR and VR technologies in the entertainment and gaming industry. This will give lot of boost to early stage companies since they will be getting help from their established counterparts through funding and mentoring,” said Anubhav Tiwari (Head DeepTech and MedTech Incubator, CIE, IIIT Hyderabad Foundation)

XR technologies are set to redefine how we see the entertainment industry. Users can join virtual concerts or host virtual parties. Movies can be made much more immersive with the XR technologies. Sports broadcasting can be completely reinvented with people being able to actually visit stadiums virtually. The use cases of this technology go much beyond what we can imagine. Classrooms can be brought to life with simulations of what is being taught and social media can go as far as letting people meet in the virtual world and allow first person interaction with each other.

For the XR Startup Program, other implementation partners along with IIITH Foundation (CIE) are AIC SMU Technology Business Incubation Foundation (AIC-SMUTBI), Rangpo, Sikkim; Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC), Ahmedabad, Gujarat and Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, New Delhi.

About CIE@IIITH

CIE@IIITH, also known as CIE (Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship) is a DST approved incubator operational since 2009. CIE@IIITH has so far supported around 160 startups and has seed- funded 18 startups, 80% of which are cash positive. CIE@IIITH was also instrumental being the kiln of the initiatives that culminated into the foundation of T-Hub. Along with developments in AVISHKAR, CIE@IIITH is also focusing on turning a new leaf in terms of infrastructure facilities, programmes and startup engagements focusing towards building a deep tech startup ecosystem. New working spaces are launched, seed funding programmes, structured workshops and mentoring opportunities and technology transfer facilitation are also being deployed now. Visit https://cie.iiit.ac.in/index.html for more details.

US-based Pactera Edge and IIIT Hyderabad Announce AI Innovation Challenge for Retail and Manufacturing Startups

• Pactera EDGE, a USA-based AI digital technology services company, today announced the launch of an AI Innovation Challenge in India, in partnership with IIIT Hyderabad
• Targeting innovative ideas and start-ups in thematic focus areas under Computer Vision for Human Activity Detection, and Visual Inspection in manufacturing
• With a 12 lakh grant for each selected startup, the program will focus on enabling domain connection and market access for startups having AI solutions in the retail and manufacturing sectors

Pactera EDGE, an AI and Digital technology company headquartered in Redmond, USA today announced an AI Innovation Challenge in association with IIIT Hyderabad for early-stage startups with technologies that can address problems in the Retail and Manufacturing sectors. Specifically leveraging computer vision for Human Activity Detection, Visual Inspection in manufacturing. Pactera EDGE has partnered with International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad( IIITH) for this initiative.

Pactera EDGE and IIITH are looking for startups with technologies addressing specific problem statements. The ideas include strategy, technologies, expected outcome and impact. Early-stage startups leveraging Computer Vision which have adjacent tech that can be pivoted to address retail or manufacturing problems. The program helps startups with Research connect, general strategy mentoring, specific domain use cases and problem identification, assistance through the solution pivot for this domain, and then connect with a few prospects globally.

Selected startups will go through a structured immersion program for four months to help them pivot the product for specific domain use cases, enrich tech through inputs from research, and align with the market areas chosen by Pactera EDGE. They will also receive a INR 12 lakh equity-free grant.

‘’Pactera EDGE believes in reinventing customer experience using revolutionary AI technologies and give our customers the winning EDGE in the digital era,’’ says Dinesh Chandrasekar, CIO, Pactera EDGE.

Pactera EDGE will also support these ideas with mentorship across spheres including technology, business strategy, design, and product development. IIITH will leverage its deep tech research capabilities and vast experience incubating startups to provide research and business mentorship to selected startups.

CIE at IIITH, over the past 13 years has incubated over 400 startups. And since founding T-Hub, has focussed on deep tech startups, specifically through accelerator programs like Avishkar and Ojas. In recent years the corporate accelerator programs have helped connect these early-stage startups with markets.

“CIE-IIITH is very happy to be partnering with Pactera EDGE for through market access program. As an early-stage incubator, helping startups with market access is the most significant challenge. And such corporate programs help are a key enabler towards this goal” said Prof Ramesh Loganathan, Head of Outreach, Professor of Co-innovation at IIIT Hyderabad.

More detailst at https://cie.iiit.ac.in/pactera-edge-ai-innovation-challenge/

Pactera EDGE brings together data, intelligence, and experiences to deliver human-centric solutions to complex business challenges. Pactera EDGE is a consulting and technology services partner headquartered in Redmond, USA, offering inventive solutions in AI and Digital Transformation space, which includes Cloud, RPA, Data Monetization, and AI enablement services. With over 2800 employees worldwide and a 500000+ crowd-sourced global workforce, Pactera EDGE creates business value for Fortune 2000 companies by accelerating business innovation, enabling new growth, improving operational efficiency, and transforming the user experience.

International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, is a research university with deep tech capabilities and established centres of excellence focusing on natural language processing (speech and text), image processing, computer vision, machine learning, and applications of artificial intelligence to population-scale problems. IIIT’s CIE is one of India’s oldest incubators, has enabled 40+ startups and has raised $25Mn+ external funds for partner startups. For more information, visit https://www.iiit.ac.in.

IIIT Hyderabad Organised Workshop on IoT and oneM2M

IIIT Hyderabad organized a Workshop this weekend on IoT and oneM2M in the city under its college research affiliate program, with support from India-EU ICT standardization collaboration project.

The workshop was organised to train students and faculty of affiliated colleges on the topics of IoT, Smart Cities and oneM2M, encourage them to deploy standard-based solutions in their campuses and to promote standards in their course curriculum.

Six colleges who participated include G. Narayanamma Institute of Technology and Science (GNITS); 2. Vasavi College of Engineering (VCE); Hyderabad Institute of Technology and Management (HITAM), K. G. Reddy College of Engineering and Technology; St. Vincent Pallotti College of Engineering, Nagpur, Maharashtra and Saintgits College of Engineering, Kottayam, Kerala

A total of 115 students and 18 faculty from these six colleges participated in the workshop, which consisted of two days of lectures and hands-on sessions. These students had already completed a MOOC on oneM2M online, where they received support from IIITH mentors for hands-on sessions. The lectures were conducted by IIITH faculty, and one guest-lecture was delivered by Prof. Thierry Monteil, IRIT, Toulouse, France.

Another agenda of this workshop was for participants to take the built solution on Air Pollution Monitoring using IoT and oneM2M and deploy it in their colleges. The students enjoyed the lecture sessions and participated enthusiastically in the project sessions. Students formed 30 teams, consisting of 4-5 students in each team. All the teams successfully completed the IoT and oneM2M based air pollution monitor and now these teams will go and deploy these devices in their colleges and nearby areas.

iHub-Data at IIIT Hyderabad Launches Foundations of Modern Machine Learning Courses

 

50-week online course for second-year engineering students from August 2022

iHub-Data at IIIT Hyderabad invites applications from second-year undergraduate engineering students for its 50-week online course on Foundations of Modern Machine Learning commencing from August 2022.

The program is specifically targeted at second-year undergraduate engineering students who are aiming at enhancing their knowledge and research capabilities to solve real-world problems using the latest tools and techniques of Machine Learning.

Interactive online sessions will be delivered by IIITH faculty, which include amongst others, Prof CV Jawahar and Prof Anoop M Namboodiri. Around 40 standalone projects have been designed as part of hands-on tutorials. Mentors with considerable exposure to machine learning will help participants to realise objectives of tutorial projects. Industry experts will also contribute to the learning outcome through discussions and interactions.

According to chief course instructor Prof CV Jawahar, “In order to equip students with abilities to solve problems that might arise in future, it is essential that they undergo such research oriented courses, which reinforce knowledge of fundamentals, and promote awareness about the latest tools and techniques. Embedding proximity to experienced professionals within this course is purposeful deviation from similar online courses, to help students avoid common pitfalls”.

Eligibility for Online Program on Machine Learning

The course is open only to undergraduate engineering students who are in their second year of study (2021 admission batch).  A general aptitude test would be administered to all applicants, to test some of the most basic skills and aptitude in research. A preparatory module to make up for any existing gaps or deficiencies would follow the aptitude test.

Benefits of the online program on Machine Learning 

• The course is designed with equal focus on foundation and practices.
• Online modules offered would have a personalised learning experience.
• Weekly quizzes, projects and other assignments would be provided to enhance problem-solving capabilities.
• Expert lectures would be arranged with eminent researchers from academics and industry.
• A certificate would be awarded on successful completion of the program.
• Internships at IIIT Hyderabad would be extended to promising students.

Application deadline 15 June 2022

More details at : https://ihub-data.iiit.ac.in/programs/