KPIT Sparkle 2021 innovation contest winners announced

The teams with 20 best ideas, shortlisted from over 2,700 entries across India, successfully presented prototypes virtually.

KPIT, a global leader in automotive software and mobility solutions, has announced the winners of KPIT Sparkle 2021. KPIT Sparkle is an innovation platform that nurtures, mentors and supports aspiring entrepreneurs and connects them with incubators in the ecosystem to transform their inventive ideas into viable products.

The annual national-level contest cultivates a culture of innovation by inspiring students from the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) streams to identify and solve sustainability-related real-life problems using technology. It also encourages and facilitates students to secure intellectual property for their solutions.

Platinum Award – Team Nano-Fluid from ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru

Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, the guest of honour and chief guest respectively, for the virtual grand finale event.

Speaking on the occasion, Nitin Gadkari, said: “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of KPIT Sparkle 2021. I would like to congratulate all winning ideas, which will soon come into reality with the mentorship of KPIT Technologies, academia, and industry experts. I firmly believe that we need young engineers and creative minds to design smart and efficient transportation systems. There is a huge potential for the use of green and clean hydrogen transport in the future. Promoting alternative fuel promotion will result in economic growth and will bolster India’s development. We must be futuristic in our approach and should ensure that in less than 5 years India emerges as a leader in the area of mobility and sustainable transport. My ministry is positively looking forward to the suggestions and recommendations on better mobility and energy prospects in the coming future.”

*Silver Award – Team AI-Air Battery from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai*

Dr. Rajiv Kumar said: “KPIT Sparkle is playing a significant role in strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem. The initiative incentivises young talent to build solutions that will define the innovations of the future. We look forward to working closely with KPIT and its partners in nurturing and building startups that can emerge from the projects.”

Ravi Pandit, Chairman, KPIT Technologies, said: “KPIT Sparkle facilitates academia and the industry to join forces and promote innovation and entrepreneurship by empowering students with the right kind of mentorship, capability and resources. It also supports our vision of reimagining mobility with customers, partners and people by supporting talent creation in the ecosystem.”

The Winners

*Silver Award – Team Sand Bird, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore; KCG College of Technology, Kancheepuram*

Team Nano-Fluid from ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, won the platinum award of INR 10,00,000 for designing a portable nano-fluid-based milking pail for cooling milk after production in an environment-friendly and cost-effective manner.
Team 3D Printer from Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering, Pune, won the gold award of INR 5,00,000 for designing continuous fibre 3D printing. The technology involves 3D printing of continuous carbon fibre embedded in nylon.
Two teams won the silver prizes of INR 2,50,000 each for the following ideas:
Team Sand Bird from Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, and KCG College of Technology, Kancheepuram, for designing a semi-autonomous electric tractor that reduces operation cost by ten times with home charging.
Team AI-Air Battery from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai, for developing a novel electrolyte-based rechargeable Al-air battery, which increases the energy density by up to eight times and is efficient in saving more than 1 lakh tonnes of CO₂ production per year.