New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) organised the Bharat R&D Summit 2024 in New Delhi, an event aimed at strengthening collaboration between industry and academia to drive research and innovation.
The summit featured an exhibition showcasing over 50 research projects, reinforcing the message that increased private-sector investment and trust-building between academia and industry are essential for positioning India as a global leader in innovation.
In an exclusive interaction with ETV Bharat, various professors from different universities talked about the compendium of technologies available for commercialisation.
Among the standout presentations was that of Ayan Chatterjee from IIT Kharagpur, who introduced a revolutionary MAP (Micro-Array Patch) technique. Chatterjee explained, “We work on proprietary technology involving micro hair patches that utilize extremely tiny needles, 5,000 of them in just a 3-square-centimeter area. These needles deliver vaccines in a dry form, eliminating the need for traditional vials or long syringes.”
He emphasised the significant advantages of this technology, particularly its pain-free application, which is especially beneficial for children. The micro-needles are designed to dissolve within 10 to 30 seconds upon contact with the skin, offering a vastly more efficient alternative to traditional vaccination methods.
Furthermore, this technology is self-administered, reducing the need for trained healthcare personnel, a critical advantage in rural areas where access to such services can be limited.
Another noteworthy presentation came from Dr Gyanendra Tiwari, a professor from IILM, Gurgaon, who unveiled a multi-model depression detection system based on artificial intelligence.
Dr Tiwari explained that the system integrates three different data modalities, EEG (electroencephalography), facial recognition, and audio analysis—to achieve an accuracy rate of over 99% in detecting depression.
“Our model utilises alpha wave patterns from EEG data, attention-based CNN networks for facial expression analysis, and MFCC (Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients) for audio data to provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s mental state,” he said.
Dr Tiwari also noted the challenges of obtaining sensitive depression data from hospitals, revealing that they sourced data from various university databases for research purposes, ensuring confidentiality and ethical compliance.
Additionally, a professor from Alliance University presented a novel device designed to monitor vehicle speed. This device alerts drivers when they exceed speed limits and can automatically generate fines sent directly to the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
Unlike traditional speed detection systems that rely on fixed cameras, this device can be retrofitted into vehicles, making it a practical solution for improving road safety.
Keynote speakers at the summit included Ms Jyoti Vij, Director General of FICCI, who underscored the need for clear outcome metrics for research success and emphasised the importance of deepening industry-academia cooperation. She highlighted the necessity of advancing towards a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) through innovative approaches.
Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Senior Advisor to the Department of Science and Technology, called for greater private sector involvement in research and development to overcome barriers to technology readiness. Prof. Sudhir Kumar Barai, Co-Chair of the FICCI Innovation Committee, discussed the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) and its role in fostering multidisciplinary learning.
Anandi Iyer, Co-Chair of the FICCI Innovation Committee and Director of Fraunhofer India Office stressed the importance of applied research models to better align academic research with industry needs.
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