'Plant-based' eggs, lighter bulletproof jackets steal limelight at IIT Delhi's Industry day

'Plant-based' scrambled eggs, bioabsorbable cardiac stents, water-activated powerless heating system, and lighter bulletproof jackets are among the 200 innovative products developed by researchers at IIT here which were displayed at the third industry day on Saturday. While people queued up to grab a bite of 'plant-based' eggs, made using lentils, which provide an alternative to non-vegetarian food without compromising on taste, another team gave a demo of the biabsorbable cardiac stents, which unlike metal stents that are currently used to treat artery blockages, dissolve inside the body within five years.

A bulletproof jacket for Indian soldiers, which would be 30 percent lighter than the jackets being used now, was also a hit among the visitors who turned it into a selfie prop. The inaugural session of the annual event was attended by business leaders, the research community, delegates from Finland and Japan and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi fraternity, including alumni who acknowledged the need to accelerate investment in the innovation-led economy to boost growth and develop a competitive advantage for India in the global market.

"India's national progress is crucially dependent on the science we discover and understand, on technologies we can create and manufacture, and on products our people can use and access. It needs innovation - both frugal and disruptive - and this discourse is to be imbibed by us in our system," said NITI Aayog member VK Paul. Paul gave an example of the medical devices market, which is currently worth USD 7-8 billion in India.

"Seventy-five percent of this demand is met by imports. However, considering the talent and potential India has, this market can be worth USD 50 billion in India and only innovation can achieve that," he said. IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal Rao said the role of academia which was earlier limited to focusing on education has changed now.

"The role of the industry primarily was to develop products and that of academia to focus on education and research. But that's changing now. Academia is expected to develop products through innovation. Innovation has now been added to our mandate in a major way. Academia and industry need to collaborate on research and innovation on products which can benefit society," he said. Industry Day, 2019, witnessed a placement session organized exclusively for the institute's Ph.D. students in which 17 companies interviewed more than 70 students.

The flagship event of the institute witnessed discussions and deliberations by industry experts and academia on five thematic sessions, including clean energy for a sustainable economy and environment, sustainable medical technologies, emerging nano and advanced materials, sustainable environment and Make in India initiative. Another special feature was a session on "Women in Science" which saw discussions on the need for gender parity in various science disciplines by women personalities from various fields.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)