SPARSH Social Innovator Fellow

SPARSH is the social innovation programme of BIRAC aimed towards finding innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems through biotechnological interventions. SIIP (Social Innovation Immersion Program), a component of SPARSH scheme, is BIRAC’s social Innovation fellowship/award program aimed at creating a pool of biotech “Social Innovators” who could identify the needs & gaps within communities and then can help bridge the gaps either through an innovative product development or services. The Program is implemented through SPARSH Centres. Selected Fellows, designated as ‘SPARSH Social Innovators/ SPARSH Fellows’, would receive a fellowship from BIRAC (amounting to INR 50,000/month for 18 months) and a onetime mini-kick start grant of INR 5 lakhs per fellow, which will be provided during the course of the fellowship.

S.No	Student Name	Mentor	Year	Award	Topic
1	TajSabreen B     (Only student from South India)	Dr Ashutosh Pastor (Manager, Incubation @ FITT-IITD Dr R Jayasree	2020	SPARSH Fellow (Monthly stipend of INR 50000 for 18 months)	Perspectives of bio transforming soil like material (SLM) into fertilizer via composting method: Sustainable approach for Combating Environmental Pollution

National Innovation Contest (MoE’s Innovation Cell Govt of India)

The IIC-National Innovation Contest aims to identify creative minds, engaging them in building innovations, nurturing them through series of mentoring sessions and bootcamps. Innovation Contest is a 360-degree approach to complete a cycle which starts with exposure to real-life environment, problem identification, Ideation & solution development, Proof of concept development & validation, Prototype/Innovation development and finally nomination of best of best student innovations from IICs in the National IIC portal in a time period of Half- One year.

S.No	Student Name	Mentor	Year	Award	Topic
1	Bavani KM and Hajarah Begam M H	Dr Gayathri V	2020	Selected for Business Plan	Bioactive compound of elephant foot yam as biopesticide against stored food grain pests

Tamil Nadu Student Innovators Programme

Tamil Nadu Student Innovators Programme is an initiative of EDII-TN, introduced in 2016, to encourage student innovators/entrepreneurs from all over Tamil Nadu. The student teams are provided opportunity to give their innovative ideas as a solution to identified validated problem statements in the field of Agriculture Industry, Smart Cities, Health Care, Fin-Tech and Automobile sectors. The programme includes series of events like awareness and ideation programmes, boot camps and final pitch. Innovative ideas are selected by a panel of Jury from the Startup Ecosystem for the award of Rs. 1.00 lakh each for further development of their prototype and also to commercialize the product. They are also introduced to angel investors who are ready to adopt and invest in their startups.

S.No	Student Team	Mentor	Year	Award	Topic
1	Shree Abivarnikha G Vasanta Vaarshni U Vigneshwar R	Dr Johanna Rajkumar	2020	Winning Finalist (cash award of INR 100000 as seed fund to convert the product to prototype)	Qure-Saviour: A natural product to instantly treat wounds by arresting the bleeding, disinfecting, and aiding in the healing process.
2	Rooshini K, Raghasree T, Sadhana B, Priyanga S, Saranya KS	Dr. Carlin Geor Malar G	2024	First Runner Up (cash award of INR 25000)	Production of filaments for 3D printers from plastic waste
3	Shreaya B and Vijayasri K     (Chosen from among 700+ participants across 5 regions of TN)	Dr Johanna Rajkumar, Dr R Jayasree, Dr Millicent Mabel and Ms KS Shreenidhi	2019	Winning Finalist (cash award of INR 100000 as seed fund to convert the product to prototype)	ARTHRINGA - A malt based health drink for arthritis patients
4	Gopinath L and Saranya Sri S	Dr Johanna Rajkumar, and Ms KS Shreenidhi	2019	Runners-up	HUSPYRUS – Formulation of paper from agricultural waste – We give life to waste

DBT ABLE BEST

Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises - ABLE is a not-for-profit pan-India forum that represents the Indian Biotechnology Sector. The primary focus of ABLE is to catalyse a symbiotic interface between the industry, the government, academic and research institutes and domestic and international investors. BEST-India (Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Student Teams) sponsored by DBT and administered by ABLE - India is a program aimed at encouraging young postgraduate and doctoral students in developing biotechnology entrepreneurship and exposing them to issues involved in commercialization of bio-science. Three teams from the Department of Biotech have been winners at DBT-ABLE BEST India in 2017 and 2018. One team was shortlisted among the top 20 teams in 2019.

S.No	Student Team	Mentor	Year	Award	Topic
1	Ms. Swetha V., Mr. Santhosh A., Ms. Shalini V.R. and Ms. Snekha G.	Mr. Arun Kumar S.	2018	Winner and cash award of Rs. 60000/-	Noise Assisted and Sensor-Boosted Assistive Device for the Cognitively Impaired
2	Sriram K, Sakthi Abbirami G, Akash ViR, Goutham Kumar BG, Khadija	Ms Millicent Mabel	2018	Winner and cash award of Rs 500000/-	A Waste-To-Wealth Approach for Textile Effluent Treatment
3	Madhumita Suresh, Nivetha Shree, Anamika Sharma, Gayathri A, Gayathri R	-	2017	Second Runner up and cash award of Rs 250000/-	Grey water treatment
4	Harshavardhini G, Iswarya Srinivasan, Naveen Kumar S, Poovarasan K	Dr D Haripriya Mr Santhosh Arul	2017	First Runner up and cash award of Rs 300000/-	A novel- High precision Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assays System for Point of Care Diagnostics

IITM PALS InnoWAH Challenge

PALS (Pan IIT Leadership Series), an initiative of the IITAIIC (IIT Alumni Industry Interaction Centre), Chennai, have been serving the community in augmenting engineering education in Chennai region. The Pan IIT Alumni of the PALS program work closely with IIT Madras, the local Engineering Colleges, Industry and Alumni, through a series of events that run through the academic year, to help add value to the engineering education experienced by students of the Engineering Institutions in the region. IIT PALS innoWAH is a competition that aims to recognize promising young innovators and showcase their talent. REC Biotech teams won innoWAH Innovation Challenge 2017 and 2018.

S.No	Student Team	Mentor	Year	Award	Topic
1	Swetha V, Santhosh A, Snekha G and Shalini VR	Mr Arun Kumar S	2023	Winner and a cash award of Rs 15000/-	Noise based Assistive Device for Cognitively Impaired
2	Krishnapriya K, Mohan Kumar BS and Suhail Madhar Hanif S	Dr Anitha T	2020	Special Mention	Biodegradable Food Packaging Material Using Artocarpus Heterophyllus Rags And Chitosan
3	Praveena P, Rishabb Anirud, Vihaa Sriee MG, Yogesh M	Dr Sathya K	2019	First Runner up and a cash award of Rs 25000/-	Industrial effluent treatment using food waste
4	Sriram K, Sakthi Abbirami G, Goutham Kumar BG, Khadija	Ms Millicent Mabel	2018	First Prize and a cash award of Rs 30000/-	Industrial effluent treatment using marine waste

IITM RuTAG

RuTAG – Rural Technology Action Group, TamilNadu, at IIT Madras is a synergising platform for science and technology (S&T) interventions established in 2004 by the office of the principal scientific advisor to the government of India. It aims to make engineering college students to give solutions to problem statements related to rural areas. It was launched by IIT PALS.

S.No	Student Team	Mentor	Year	Award	Topic
1	Kanishka Reshmi A and Keerthika V	Professor Indhumathi M Nambi in Environmental and Water resource Engineering	2018	Summer Internship at IIT Madras with stipend Rs 8000/- per month	Conversion of Sanitary waste into solid fuel briquettes for energy recovery

iGEM

Students from the department of biotechnology also participate in iGEM – (international genetically engineered machine) competition every year. It is an organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology through collaboration of different scientific groups across the world and conducting a competition at the end of year, hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA.

S.No	Student Team	Mentors	Year	Award	Topic
1	Rhea Harry William, Maline M, Sai Sandhya Sree S, Jothi Murugan S, Kadhiravan S, Manoj MG, Nandhithaa N, Pradeep, Purushothaman U, Saikrupa Vijay Shankar, Ajay Karthik M, Eniya AM, Jeevananthan M, Jeothilashmi Annadurai, Kamakshi B, Keerthika S, Lokaveenasri D, Naveen K, Priyadharshini S, Sanjeevan Hari Sudhakar	Dr. M. Sankar, Mr. S. Arun Kumar and Dr. K.S. Shreenidhi	2024	Silver Medal	PLASTICOPS – Tackling Microplastic Pollution Using Microplastic Binding Peptides
2	Vishal Amith K, Marie Jyotsna Jawahar, Nethra L, Vibha Murali, Rhea Harry William, Anu Kavitha A, Griddalaru Vineetha Naidu, Parinitha K, Pontiana Ritika C, Avendhika Raja, Abhitha KV, Mohammed Jassim, Mohamed Aslam, Thuhin Khanna R, Suraj N, Varun Rishwandh S, Harikumar P, Pooja S, Varshiny G and Padmashree B	Dr Gayahtri V, Dr Jayasree R, Ms Shreenidhi KS, Dr K Sathya, Dr N Duraimurugan	2022	Gold Medal & Best Environment Project Award	Curlim – Bioremediation of Cd containing Industrial Effluents
3	Deepak Kumar S, Sneha Sekar, Harita M, Deeptha Sri S, Vignesh K, Nivetha CS, Varshiny G, Sneha V, Aravind N, Pooja S, Suganya PR, Harikumar P, Soundira Raja K, Sakthi Priyadharshini KR, Vaishnavi Gopi, Swathi Rengasami, Dhakshanya P, Sriram K, Vijay Bhoopalan, Mohan Kumar BS	Dr Gayathri V, Dr Jayasree R, Mr Arun Kumar S, Ms Shreenidhi KS	2019	Silver Medal	DeliveRyt - Peptide-Mediated Delivery of Macromolecular Cargo
4	Amal Jude Ashwin F, Marcia Smit Jude, Khadija, Hemalekshmi V, Gowtham Kumar BG, Sunanda Kannapadi, Sudharshana S, Priyanka Chandramouli, Mohan Kumar BS, Srimathi J, Preetha R, Deepak Kumar S, Nivetha CS, Vignesh K, Sneha S	Dr Gayathri V, Dr Thiruvengadam S, Mr Arun Kumar S, Ms Shreenidhi KS	2018	Bronze medal	FluoroScreen
	KS Shreenidhi, K Sriram, Vijay Bhoopalan, Preethi Thunga, Shravan Ram B, Veenah Venugopal, Rakshana Dayal, Saishyam R, Nishka Bhalla, Srisreya Madhala, Roja Ramany S, Ramya R, Saranya V, Sheetal Maria Rajan, Vasavi NS, Akash ViR, Marcia Smiti Jude, Srimathi J, Amal Ashwin Jude F, Preetha R,	Dr Gayathri V, Dr Babuskin S, Dr Sujata Roy	2017	Bronze medal	LatarColi – Knight on guard against food pathogens

Voice for BT

Voice for BT is a National level Inter Collegiate Public Speaking Contest on current topics in biotechnology organised by Novozymes India Pvt Ltd and hosted by SASTRA University. The winners of the contest are offered six months internship opportunity at Novozymes India. Ms Harinee was eventually absorbed as an employee at Novozymes after her internship programme.

S.No	Student Team	Year	Award	Benefits
1	Apoorvha JP	2022	First Runner-up (South Zone)	Cash award of Rs 15000/- and 6 months internship opportunity at Biocon
1	Saranya Sri S	2021	First Runner-up (South Zone)	Cash award of Rs 15000/- and 6 months internship opportunity at Novozymes South Asia
2	Preethi Thunga	2017	Winner	Cash award of Rs 25000/- and 6 months internship opportunity at Novozymes South Asia
3	Harshavardhini G	2016	First Runner up	Cash award of Rs 20000/- and 3 months internship opportunity at Novozymes South Asia
4	Sriram K	2015	Winner	Cash award of Rs 25000/- and 6 months internship opportunity at Novozymes South Asia
5	Harinee D	2012	Winner	Cash award of Rs 25000/- and 6 months internship opportunity at Novozymes South Asia

National Design & Research Forum

National Design and Research Forum, established in 1969 by the Institution of Engineers (India), promotes research, design, development, productisation and innovation through collaborative effort and anchoring interdisciplinary research for societal applications and plays a major role in deploying engineering and technology services, systems and solutions for nation building.

S.No	Student Team	Year	Award	Topic
1	Preethi B	2019	Gold Medal	Co-cultivation of Millet and Production of Nutritious Chocolate
1	Yogesh M	2019	Bronze Medal	Integrated System for the Production of Reusable Water through Treatment of Textile

NCRM Niche – Fujio Cup Quiz

S.No	Student Team	Year	Event	Award
1	Vasanta Vaarshni U and Vigneshwar R	2021	XVI Fujio Cup	First Runner-up
2	Sruthi G Srinivas and Subha R	2017	XII Fujio Cup	Finalists
3	Sriram K and Savithri S	2015	X Fujio Cup	First Runner-up

Academy of Maritime Education and Training

S.No	Student Team	Mentor	Year	Award
1	Rajalakshmi.S and Rajalakshmi.P	Dr Sathya K	2020	Best Start Up Idea Award With Rs.10,000 Cash Prize
2	MohanaPriya.S, Arthi.A and Madhumitha.S	Dr Sathya K	2020	Appreciation for Innovation with Rs.5,000 Cash Prize