KPIT Announces Winners of KPIT Sparkle 2016, All India Science and Engineering Students Contest

• Winning teams awarded prizes worth over Rupees 22 Lakhs
• Top shortlisted teams from engineering and science colleges across India presented innovative, robust solutions to address energy and transportation challenges

Pune, 30 January, 2016: KPIT (BSE: 532400; NSE: KPIT), a global technology company specializing in IT consulting and product engineering, announced the winners of KPIT Sparkle 2016, an annual national design and development innovation contest for engineering and science students across India. KPITSparkle 2016, in association with College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) aims at fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking among engineering and science students across colleges in India. The competition with the theme of ‘Smart Solutions for Energy and Transportation’ received 1,700 innovative ideas from over 10,000 students across 500 colleges in India. 54 best teams made it to the grand finale of KPIT Sparkle 2016 and top shortlisted presented innovative and sustainable solutions through scale models and working prototypes.

Some of the projects featured ideas on Green Energy, Alternate Fuels & Materials, Autonomous Vehicles and Intelligent Traffic Management. Winning teams were awarded prized worth over Rs. 22 Lakhs.
The finalists were evaluated for novelty of their ideas, completeness of prototype, fulfillment of society’s expectations/ problem statement and technical knowledge at a grand exhibition held at The finalists were evaluated for novelty of their ideas, completeness of prototype, fulfillment of society’s expectations/ problem statement and technical knowledge at a grand exhibition held at COEP College ground, Pune.

• The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur won the Gold award of INR 5 Lakhs for their ‘i-Bike’ project. The bicycle model can drive itself autonomously and also be driven manually, as and when required, in an urban bicycle-sharing system to achieve in last-mile transportation.
• The following seven teams won the Silver award for Rs. 1 lakh:

1. Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre ,Pambady, Kerala for their project IC engine efficiency increase without compromising present engine design

2. Hindusthan college of engineering and technology, Coimbatore, for their project on virtual speed breaker

3. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, for the project on green and facile synthesis of novel supercapacitor electrode material using JUTE fibres as precursor

4. M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore for Remote Road Quality Assesment and Analysis

5. COEP for their for developing a system to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of solar water heating system

6. COEP for their project ‘Innovation: reverse pedal braking system

7. Manipal Institute of Technology, Udupi for their project ‘Adaptive Signal Systems for Efficient Traffic control

Ravi Pandit, Co-founder, Chairman & Group CEO, KPIT said, “We congratulate the winners and commend all the students who participated in KPITSparkle 2016. We are delighted to see the solutions that the students came up with and how creatively these were executed and showcased. The groundbreaking scientific ideas that we received show that given an opportunity, today’s youth can not only identify critical problems but also come up with cleaner, safer and smarter solutions. Through KPIT Sparkle 2016 we continue our endeavor to foster scientific thinking and nurture the problem solving ability of the bright, young minds of this country.”

Dr. RA Mashelkar, Head, Innovation Council, KPIT said, “It is heartening to see that today’s youth is motivated to solve problems that need urgent solutions. KPIT Sparkle 2016 has once again proved to be a brilliant platform for engineering and science students to showcase their innovative ideas; which will resolve real world problems with the use of technology. The projects and working models presented at the grand finale were highly impressiv0000e, not only in terms of ideation but also because they are cost effective and potential game changers. I congratulate the winners and wish them the very best for taking their ideas to greater heights.”

The project were reviewed and evaluated by a jury comprising of eminent judges, consisting of scientists, industrialists and academicians including Dr. RA Mashelkar, Head, Innovation Council, KPIT; Shri Vinit Goenka, Member IT Task Force at Ministries of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Government of India; Air Marshal Shri Bhushan Gokhale, Consultant to Principal Scientific Advisor, Govt. of India; Shri Satish Ogale, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NCL; Dr. Ashish Lele, Polymer Science and Engineering Division, NCL (National Chemical Laboratory); Ms. Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director of ARAI,Prof. CS Kumar, IIT Kharagpur; Mr. Nachiket Gole, Industrial Designer and Dr. B. B. Ahuja, Director of COEP.

Prof. Devang Khakhar, Director, IIT Bombay was the chief guest at the awards ceremony.