Chennai: Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) successfully hosted the Navayantra Research Expo 2025 on 16th April at its Bay Range Campus, bringing together a vibrant ecosystem of innovation, collaboration, and scientific advancement.
The expo featured over 100 displays, including pioneering research from specialized research centres, faculty funded projects, and a broad spectrum of research presentations by Ph.D. scholars, PG, and UG students across several thematic areas including Energy & Sustainability, Cyber Security & Digital Technologies, Manufacturing & Industry 5.0, Aerospace Engineering, Healthcare & Biotechnology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Finance, Business & Entrepreneurship and Education & Smart Infrastructure.
Dr. P.P. Mathur, Former Vice Chancellor of KIIT University and Birla Gobal University, in his keynote address as Chief Guest, emphasized the collaborative nature of modern research. “Events like Navayantraare essential platforms where researchers can interact with peers, share knowledge, and expand their horizons.” He urged all scholars to prioritize research quality that will result in high-impact publications.
Dr. Anand Jacob Verghese, Chancellor HITS, added “Navayantra 2025 exemplifies our institution’s dedication to fostering research that directly benefits society. The remarkable innovations on display represent the culmination of our faculty and students’ tireless efforts to push the boundaries of knowledge. We are proud to serve as an interface between academic excellence and industrial application.”
The expo featured impressive contributions from 11 Research Centres, including the Structural Impact & Crash Simulation Centre (SIMCRASH), Centre for Sensors & Process Control (CENSE), Centre for Underwater Robotics & Communication (URoC), Centre for Clean Energy and Nano Convergence (CENCON), Centre for Hydrogen Technology & Carbon Utilization (CeHy), Centre for Sustainable Technology & Development (CSTD), Centre for Automation & Robotics (ANRO), Centre for Satellite & Space Technology (C-SAT), Centre for Simulation & Engineering Design (SIMENDES), Machine Intelligence and Data Analysis Research Centre (MIDARC) and the Digital Health & Bio-Innovations Centre (DigiHealth).
Additionally, over 20 Ongoing and Seed-funded Projects addressed pressing global challenges, ranging from clean energy and smart materials to advanced diagnostics, rural development, and underwater communications. More than 90 presentations by senior and junior researchers covered innovative studies in electric vehicles, architectural sustainability, machine learning, public health, and digital education.
The research was evaluated by an esteemed panel of experts from government, industry, and academia, including Dr. R.K. Elangovan, Former Director General of DGFASLI at the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India; Dr. Jaiganesh Subbian, Principal Scientist in R&D at Apollo Tyres; Mr. Balamurugan Muthu, Assistant VP at Hexaware Technologies Ltd; Mr. Pradeep Raju, Senior Manager of Commercial Vehicles R&D at Daimler India; Dr. G. Arunkumar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at IIT Madras; Dr. V. Sulochana, Course Director at Anna Administrative Staff College, Government of Tamil Nadu; and Mr. S. Rajarathinam, Director & Chief Enterprise Architect at LTIMindtree.
The expo witnessed enthusiastic participation from various industrial sectors including Telecommunications & Networking, Aerospace & Space Technology, Information Technology & Software Services, Electronics & Embedded Systems, Automotive Engineering, Heavy Machinery & Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Power Transmission & Energy Solutions, Green Fuel & Clean Tech, Food Technology, Digital Education & EdTech, Trade, Retail & Consumer Markets and Public Policy & Government-Linked Initiatives. This strong industrial presence fostered collaborative opportunities, with companies exploring research partnerships and talent acquisition initiatives.
The feedback from industry visitors was positive and encouraging. Industry representatives noted the high caliber of research and strong potential for meaningful collaborations, particularly in areas such as hydrogen generation, sensor development, structural impact analysis, automation, robotics, digital health, machine intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Prestigious awards recognizing path-breaking contributions in both senior and junior research categories were presented to the brilliant innovators. The Dr. T.A. Lourdusamy Innovation Award was presented to J. Janiel for the Best Senior Researcher presentation titled “Cancer Drug Response Prediction through Machine Learning using Genomic – Drug & Environmental Variables Data – A Combined Approach through Remote Sensing” with a cash prize of ₹30,000.
Dr. T.A. Lourdusamy Innovation Award for Best Junior Researcher was shared by Vasudevan S for “Early Classification and Detection Diagnosis of Cancer” and Surya Kumar M for “Assessment of Ethanol’s Sustainability as an Additive in Aviation Gasoline” with a combined cash prize of ₹20,000.
Additional HITS Awards, valued at Rs. 25,000, for research excellence were also presented to other remarkable researchers in both senior and junior categories.
Navayantra Research Expo 2025 highlighted the spirit of inquiry and innovation while reinforcing the university’s commitment to nurturing research excellence. Looking to the future, HITS remains dedicated to being a leading force in academic-industry collaboration and future-ready research, positioning the institution as a hub for interdisciplinary innovation with significant societal impact.
