Winning team presented the solution - ‘Integrated technologies for the sustainable and economical production of Methanol from CO2'
- 1st Runner-up team showcased the solution - ‘Development of high-performance rechargeable Zinc-air batteries’
- Two Joint 2nd Runners-up teams demonstrated the solutions - ‘Hybrid Composites for Hydrogen storage tank’ and ‘Sustainable durable geopolymer coating through homogenous dispersion of Graphene'
- 158 (number of) active ideas were registered in the fourth edition of MaterialNEXT programme
Further, team ‘High Energy Zone’ of the TIFR Hyderabad which showcased the solution ‘Development of high-performance rechargeable Zinc-air batteries’, secured the 1st runner-up position. The members, Pallavi Thakur and Subhra Patttanayak, were mentored by Prof. T. N. Narayanan and received a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh.
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| 1st Runner-Up - Team ‘High Energy Zone’ |
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| 2nd Runners-Up - Team ‘Interface Icon’ |
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| 2nd Runners-Up - Team ‘Graphecon Materials’ |
Congratulating the winners, Peeyush Gupta, Vice President, Group Strategic Procurement & Supply Chain, Tata Steel, said: "We are thrilled with the response that MaterialNEXT 4.0 received from the young innovators of the country. The solutions showcased today were outstanding, and we are confident that they have the potential to make a significant impact in the industry. At Tata Steel, we are committed to fostering a culture of open innovation and collaboration, and MaterialNEXT is an excellent platform to promote this spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. We are proud to be part of this initiative and to provide mentorship, funding, and guidance to these aspiring innovators."
The remaining four teams in the top eight won a cash prize of Rs 25,000 each for demonstrating their innovative solutions and ideas. This edition of MaterialNEXT received registrations from more than 40 institutions across India, with 158 final active ideas. The proposals were invited in various sub-areas through the ‘Research’ or ‘Start-up’ tracks.
While 'Research' track was open to aspiring registered PG and PhD students and research scholars from academia/research centres across India, 'Start-up' track allowed incubated startups in seed or Series A funding level to participate. MaterialNEXT 4.0 had a total of four themes under both tracks - Applied Nanomaterials, Novel Composites, Emerging Construction Materials, and Energy Materials. Across both tracks, teams competed for cash prizes, mentorship, and grants for the next level of project development.
The grand finale jury comprised Prof. B L V Prasad (Director, CeNS-Bangalore), Prof. A M Kuthe (Professor, VNIT-Nagpur), Dr. Ramanuj Narayan (Director, IMMT-Bhubaneswar), Peeyush Gupta (VP, Group Strategic Procurement & Supply Chain, Tata Steel), Vinay Vasant Mahashabde (Chief, Research & Development and Product Technology) while other delegates in attendance included Chiefs, Heads, Principal Scientists and Researchers of Technology and New Materials Business division.
Tata Steel has been actively pursuing research in advanced materials for over a decade, with a focus on nanotechnology and graphene. In 2016, the Company launched the Graphene Initiative and opened the Graphene Centre in Jamshedpur. By 2018, Tata Steel in India established the New Materials Business division, specialising in composites and ceramics, to become a technology leader in the steel and materials business. Two Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Centres were also established in FY17, in Chennai and Bengaluru, in collaboration with IITM and CeNS, respectively. These centres aim to work closely with academia and other centres to advance materials research and its applications.
About Tata Steel MaterialNEXT
‘Tata Steel MaterialNEXT’, a flagship open innovation programme organised by Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Centre, offers a chance to the budding researchers, technology developers and enthusiasts in the field of advanced materials, to explore ideas to design and innovate applications and use of advanced materials in emerging areas. From the past three editions, nine such ideas have been onboarded for collaborative development targeting commercial application in the areas of nano materials, bio-composites, materials recycle and medical materials. These ideas are currently in various stages of development from lab scale optimisation to piloting stage before further commercial exploration by relevant business verticals of the Company. For more details, visit: https://www.tatasteel.com/careers/campus-connect/materialnext/.
Disclaimer
Statements in this press release describing the Company’s performance may be “forward looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws and regulations. Actual results may differ materially from those directly or indirectly expressed, inferred or implied. Important factors that could make a difference to the Company’s operations include, among others, economic conditions affecting demand/ supply and price conditions in the domestic and overseas markets in which the Company operates, changes in or due to the environment, Government regulations, laws, statutes, judicial pronouncements and/ or other incidental factors.
About Tata Steel
Tata Steel group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum.
It is one of the world's most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the world.
The group recorded a consolidated turnover of ~US$30.3 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2023.
A Great Place to Work-CertifiedTM organisation, Tata Steel Limited, together with its subsidiaries, associates, and joint ventures, is spread across five continents with an employee base of over 70,000.
Tata Steel has announced its major sustainability objectives including Net Zero Carbon by 2045, Net Zero Water consumption by 2030, improving Ambient Air Quality and No Net loss in Biodiversity by 2030.
The Company has been on a multi-year digital-enabled business transformation journey intending to be the leader in ‘Digital Steel making by 2025’. The Company has received the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse recognition for its Jamshedpur, Kalinganagar and IJmuiden Plants.
Tata Steel aspires to have 25% diverse workforce by 2025. The Company has been recognised with the World Economic Forum’s Global Diversity Equity & Inclusion Lighthouse 2023.
The Company has been a part of the DJSI Emerging Markets Index since 2012 and has been consistently ranked amongst top 10 steel companies in the DJSI Corporate Sustainability Assessment since 2016.
Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur Plant is India’s first site to receive ResponsibleSteelTM Certification.
Received Prime Minister’s Trophy for the best performing integrated steel plant for 2016-17, 2023 Steel Sustainability Champion recognition from worldsteel for six years in a row, 2022 ‘Supplier Engagement Leader’ recognition by CDP, Top performer in Iron and Steel sector in Dun & Bradstreet's India's top 500 companies 2022, No. 1 brand in India in the Mining and Metals industry in Top 100 brand rankings for 2022 by Brand Finance, and ‘Most Ethical Company’ award 2021 from Ethisphere Institute.
Received 2022 ERM Global Award of Distinction, ‘Masters of Risk’ - Metals & Mining Sector recognition at The India Risk Management Awards for the seventh consecutive year, and Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting FY20 from ICAI, among several others.
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