Students Achievements

Final year BSc (Hons) Integrative Biology student Mr Omkar Mani Kanteswar has received an admission offer for the Master of Science in Biology at the University of Memphis (UofM), USA. Omkar’s happiness has no bounds as he really worked hard to get into his dream university.

The University of Memphis is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Since Omkar is from a Bsc Biology background, he wanted to continue in the same research field. While shortlisting the universities, he found this research-oriented college. He passed the Duolingo test and IELTS to get into this college.

The Master of Science (MS) in Biology is a research-centred degree programme with an intensive core and elective curriculum. Omkar opted for this course owing to the fact that he wanted to continue his research in the field of Biology. His message for the junior batches is to be confident and independent to make their own decisions and not run with the herd. He urges them to focus on holistic development and extracurricular activities. He is also ready to provide support to them if they need any.

He extended his gratitude to the faculty members who helped him a lot in the process by giving him confidence. He was glad to have them because they consistently and positively helped him in his academics and choosing various colleges. Faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences- Prof Jayaseelan Murugaiyan (HOD), Assistant Professor Sutharsan Govindarajan, and Prof Imran Pancha hold significant positions in Omkar’s career venture.

Admission to a reputed institute means a sense of pride, the joy of knowing you would study the best things with the best ones. Omkar believes that this is just the beginning, and he is yet to do a lot more things with his precious life.

Stories of innovation from SRM AP are not something new! M Tanveer, G Sai Venkat, and Divyansh Awasthi, three vibrant students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at SRM University-AP, have built a multi-utility buggy car as a part of their final year project work.

The students initially planned to build a completely new multi-utility vehicle. Later they slightly modified the idea to make a buggy car from scrap materials, i.e. by gathering the efficiently working components from old and unused cars and making them compatible with the chassis.

Motivated by their admiration for the automotive industry, students had great enthusiasm for building the buggy car. They had an urge to convert theoretical knowledge gained from classrooms into practical working machines. Consequently, the trio developed an off-road diesel buggy to show their prowess in the automobile industry, especially on and off-road cars. A Diesel motor is utilised, which is competent in conveying a speed of 50 kilometres per hour.

The chassis of the buggy is designed and manufactured by the students themselves. The spare parts and connection are from the TATA ZIP car model and incorporated into the buggy fitting to the design. The necessary fitting and binding of spare parts are done according to the driving comfort.

The students expressed their gratitude for the support of their project guide Dr Jasvinder Singh, co-guide Prof Venkata N Nori, and HOD Prof Prakash Jadhav. “We received constant mentorship and guidance throughout our project tenure from them”, said the students. “Whenever we were stuck or were not able to solve a particular problem, or at times were mentally stressed and worn out, our professors gave us proper guidance to warded off our problems and stress, ” they added.

The leaders of tomorrow are defined by the clarity of thought in translating their vision into action. Their words reflect the undying spirit to make it big in life and brace up the world for unforeseen challenges in the times to come. Currently pursuing Master’s in Management at ESMT Berlin, Mr Aaditya Jain, the alumnus of Class of 2021, Computer Science and Engineering, is one such promising leader who is on an endeavour to gear up his personal and professional limits with a solid vision and impeccable work ethic. The high-end Business magazine of Europe, ‘Brainz’ has recently featured his article titled ‘How to Be A Leader Even If You Don’t Have A Title (Yet)’.

Brainz magazine is a global digital periodical that brings influential entrepreneurs, coaches, and business experts to share their knowledge and stories with the world. It features articles across various themes- exploring business innovations, leadership mindsets, aspirational lifestyles, and many more. The magazine aims to disperse inspiring content to augment the quality of life in all aspects. In an interview with Snježana “Ana” Billian, Aaditya shared the top four tips on how to show leadership at work, even if you don’t have a leadership title. As far as he is concerned, one must lead oneself before venturing out to lead others.

Aaditya pronounces the importance of self-awareness as it gives the opportunity to capitalize on one’s strengths and weaknesses to create as much value as possible in every situation. “One of the most powerful things I was told by one of my professors back during my undergrad is: We have all the resources within us. This statement inspired me to embark on a journey of self-discovery” he remarked. Aaditya is also aware of the huge benefit of the internet. Sharing one’s views and experiences online does not require a title. He regularly shares his experience at work and the lessons he learned on leadership online. This makes it easier for him to reach out to like-minded people and create a shared value.

“The need to mould oneself as a proactive communicator and concoct a support network at professional space is essential to ensure one’s career advancement”, says Aaditya. He believes, that asking out for help is a quality that must be encouraged. He further went on to divulge how moving to Germany and settling in was not an easy job. But according to him, the greatest challenge was how to make the most out of it. Success in the words of Aaditya is, “Living my values while continuously growing and inspiring human leadership at work”.

Here is the link to his article: https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/how-to-be-a-leader-even-if-you-don-t-have-a-title-yet

Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

-Dr Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

The uncompromising vision to mould the students to be the leaders of tomorrow and to gear them up to think beyond the possible has been the propelling factor that drives each student of SRM University-AP to tread the unexplored paths and embrace the unseen challenges. They come out as transformed individuals, outgrown with enriching experiences, capable of introducing new changes into the world. Students are offered ample space and time to ideate, innovate, and build themselves into coming-of-age professionals.

Innovator Square is one such platform set up by the Entrepreneurship-cell to nurture innovative ideas and thoughts having the potential to be converted into a meaningful product or service. Each month, it brings out young talents who have expanded their limits to fashion out an unforeseen solution to the mundane troubles of society. The title winners of the ‘Innovator of the Month’ contest this time, are, Shaik Nagoor, Kalakoti Smaran, and Komirisetti Gopi, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. They have designed a special stove that runs on used cooking oil.

Introducing innovations out of bits and pieces of the commonest of things adds value to our everyday lives. These budding masterminds deserve acknowledgement for their incredible solution to utilise the leftover oil. Cooking oil is a daily essential abundantly used in food processing industry, such as restaurants and fast food, as well as in households. Reusing the oil is found to have harmful effects as it contains carcinogenic substances, that may lead to cancer or other chronic health disorders. Hence the common practice followed is to dump it in open soil. However, this will affect soil fertility and a myriad of environmental concerns.

Their motive to offer a sustainable solution to this menace is what prompted them to devise a user-friendly stove that will consume the used cooking oil. This will also serve as a better alternative to LPG, saving up to 50% of the expenditure. The students expressed their happiness in having made their tiny share of contribution for the well-being of their society. They also thanked their faculty and the university for extending unswerving support to complete this project. “We can never thank enough Dr Venkata Nori sir for guiding and supporting us from the beginning of our project, he helped us achieve this innovation, we are also thankful to Mr Udayan Bakshi sir for helping us to build a start-up”, they remarked.

Empowering and Enabling startup entrepreneurs

A personal incident motivated Jithin Peram, final year Computer Science Engineering student, to start Amruthik Pvt. Ltd, a company which supplies customised food to various hospitals based on the specific needs of the patients. Various doctors and hospitals have appreciated this customisation of food as per the need. Patients are satisfied as they do not have to take the generic food given by the hospital canteen now. Instead, they have the option to have a very specific diet prescribed by certified dieticians.

The motivation behind the launch of Amruthik is quite inspirational. Jithin’s grandfather passed away due to corona. While his grandfather was suffering with Covid-19 and was admitted in hospital, Jithin was preparing for viva practicals. On hearing the news, he was shattered and it struck him how quickly everything can change around us. Since Jithin was not able to do small things such as taking lunch to his grandfather or standing next to him for moral support; With Amruthik, Jithin dreams of being there for people who need moral support and care in their hospital beds “This makes me happy, and I believe this kind of support is something everyone deserves”, says Jithin on a happy note.

Five years from now, Jithin envisions himself supporting, helping and standing by millions of people who need such services. He believes in putting smiles on faces and wants to see the impressive growth of his company.

Let’s see what Jithin says

As an engineering student, I would have never known the opportunities I have, even with the idea to build my company I would have been lost without proper guidance The Hatchlab Research Centre has given me guidance and a foundation that I can rely upon building my company.

I am thankful for the immense support I got from the faculty and the guidance provided by SRM AP, I especially thank Mr Udayan Bakshi for mentoring me and sharing his experiences with me.

Solving the problems existing in diverse domains through innovative ideas is something only certain people will be able to do. Earlier this year, the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation held a Pitch and Win contest, which invited ideas to solve problems across the six major domains. Sikindhar Jaladi, Pranathi Jayanthi, and Shreeyash made it to the top three with their excellent competitive skills and ideas.

The domains from which the applications were invited included Education, Deep-Tech, Social, Health, Alternate Energy, Retail, Fintech and so on. The top three winners were selected from hundreds of contestants. Also, top 10 applications are selected to be incubated at the Hatchlab Research Centre. They will be nurtured for a period of 18 months and transformed from an idea to a prototype. This will again be developed into a complete product with industrial exposure and corporate mentorship along with seed funding of Rs. 500000 (to the eligible ventures) from the university. A cubical will be allocated to each team to sit and build their products and work on the venture.

Student innovations that render hope and reassurance to an ever-changing society with booming demands indeed call for sweeping appreciation and recognition. We are elated to present the story of one of our budding masterminds who has brought us laurels through his trailblazing invention. Our first-year Mechanical Engineering student, Venkata Sree Harsha has developed the prototype of a solar electric bicycle with iconic features. This is a well-timed invention presented in the face of exacerbating pollution and energy insufficiency.

There have been endless studies and research going on to discover alternate solutions to bring down the imprudent use of conventional sources of energy. We are running out of our resources on one hand, and they are causing irreversible damage to the environment on the other hand. Tapping the invaluable potential of solar energy is the ideal way to welcome a new era of renewable energy resources. Solar inventions are therefore encouraged and put to implementation. This is believed to expedite the use of such renewable resources.

Venkata Sree Harsha’s solar-powered bicycle can run for unlimited distance in sunlight and for 2 hours at night when fully charged. It is fitted with a 24 Volt, 350-Watt DC motor, two 12 Volt batteries, two 6-Watt solar panels, and other components. The rechargeable batteries are attached to a 36 Volt motor, and it is connected in a series fashion. The solar power panels are fastened to the rear end of the vehicle which actively charges the bicycle while it is running on the sun. The total investment for this environment-friendly solar bicycle came approximately to rupees 15,000. This is a fruitful innovation when the escalating fuel prices are causing hardships in an average Indian household.

The young innovator expressed his delight and contentment over making his tiny share of contribution to the lives of those who are struggling to make ends meet in a world where expenses are soaring high without limits. His passion for science and determination to bring technology to right and productive use are what made this innovation possible. Mr Venkata also thanked his teachers and fellow friends who helped and guided him throughout this rewarding journey.

Innovative suggestions create a doorway to a world of opportunities and possibilities. The Suggestion contest conducted by the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation received 206 entries, and each of them was significant in one way or the other. Finding out the most impactful and meaningful suggestions among them was a hectic task, and we have five winners for the competition. Congratulations to CSE second-year student Krishna Manideep, BBA second-year student Pratibha Maurya and CSE first-year students; Vishnu Vardhan, Pranathi Jayanthi, and G Sai Rohith for making it to the top five.

The department has started programmes like “ExplorerHive” and “the Leader” based on the suggestions of students. Many more innovative programs are yet to come by utilising the suggestions obtained through the competition. Congratulations to the whole 206 participants for their contributions and suggestions. We value each of you and your suggestions and will try our best to put them all into practice.

The brilliant minds at the SRM AP cubing club have proved themselves again. On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, a group of students from the Cubing Club came together to arrange a mosaic of Gautama Buddha using 1500 cubes! A project of this magnitude usually takes a couple of weeks to be completed, but our students were able to complete the design within five days.

The smart brains behind this artistic endeavour:
Tarun Vaka
Jyothi Madem
Kota Vasu Desik
Durga Surya Teja Indigimilli
Sri Sathya Sai Karthik Kongara
Venkata Mohit Simhadri
Divyambica Satya Vasa
Lolugu Charansai Venkatanarayana

The vibrant colours and the simplicity behind the mosaic portray the Buddha’s teachings and the elementary life he led on earth. Members of cubing club received appreciations from peers, faculty members and university leadership in creating this adroit artistic masterpiece.

The university revels in its monumental achievement of bringing out the maiden doctorate degree holder, Dr Vasavi Dutt, within four years of its inception. Dr Vasavi Dutt enrolled as a PhD scholar in the Department of Chemistry, under the supervision of Dr Nimai Mishra, Assistant Professor, in 2018. She received the academic honour for her research thesis titled “Improvement of Photoluminescence and Achieving the Stabilization of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Light-emitting Applications”. Dr Vasavi has been an extremely diligent student and she mustered up immense courage to bring her research to closure even during the testing times of the pandemic.

In the words of Dr Nimai Mishra, “It was a great privilege for me to supervise Ms Vasavi, (correct me Dr Vasavi now) as my first PhD student. She joined my research lab in July 2018 when there was no lab at all, and we started our work at Chemistry BTech Lab”. Dr Mishra was gleaming with pride as he spoke more about his scholar, “During these three and a half years, I had relentless scientific discussions with Vasavi which enriched both of us. Her attitude towards research was remarkable, whenever I gave her a research problem, she used to come up with a detailed outline of how to go ahead with the project”. He also praised her for all her accomplishments which include the publication of 13 research papers, filing of 3 patents and winning the best poster in national & internal conferences.

Dr Vasavi also shared her happiness for having received the mentorship of Dr Mishra, “Working in Dr Nimai Mishra’s lab was a great experience. I had the opportunity to engage and initiate multiple research topics and collaborations. He has always encouraged me to explore new fields to broaden perspectives and bring together new ideas”. She also expressed her gratitude to him for being a welcoming and approachable mentor. “I’m eternally thankful to Dr Mishra for his friendship, empathy, and moreover, for his great sense of humour”. She currently resides in the US with her family. Now that she has successfully completed her PhD, soon she would start looking for a job or rather pursue a post-doctoral fellowship in America.

Dr Vasavi was out of words to thank the university for facilitating and bringing the best in technology and infrastructure for advanced research. “I can never thank my university enough for extending a hospitable environment and nutritious food for all the doctorate students”, she further mentioned. The university serves as a promised land for thousands of research aspirants like her to head towards their dream of making unfeigned contributions to academia.

Continue reading →