New FabLab inaugurated on campus
Prof. P J Narayanan, Director, International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad inaugurated the “FabLab” at IIIT Hyderabad campus today. The lab has been made possible by the support from the Department of Science and Technology, under the Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) scheme.
International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad has been granted the project for the development of biosensors and bio-actuators focused on healthcare applications. Some of the microfabrication tools available in the facility include UV lithography, sputtering, spin coater and vacuum chamber, along with material characterization tools such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and optical profilometer.
The facility also consists of semiconductor IC characterization tools such as probe station, Vector Network Analyzer (VNA), Vector Signal Generator (VSG), signal analyzer and oscilloscope, with the capability of supporting measurements in the millimeter wave (mmWave) band.
How digitalisation and technology are changing lived realities
Nazia Akhtar, whose research involves the literary history of Hyderabad, talked about — the challenges in digitising people’s personal archives. Nazia’s work on Hyderabadi Urdu women’s literature includes The Deccan Sun, a translation of Zeenath Sajida’s writings. Nazia, who is building an online archive of such texts, said “When I work on a writer’s oeuvre, I find their processes in their notebooks, places where they doodle, letters to friends where they complain that they couldn’t put a certain metaphor together. This is why I am interested in the private papers of writers—things they scribble among grocery lists, backs of calendars, receipts, etc,”. Often, families of deceased writers have huge volumes of unpublished writing, including diaries that they hope someone else can preserve and make accessible for researchers. “In such cases, digital technology appears to be a saviour. But there are questions of how much private details to put out, who can access these, what is our responsibility towards writers or their families, who may not be in a position to negotiate for themselves,”
Research Inclusivity: IIITH Shows How By Keeping It SARAL
The AI-powered platform developed with guidance from ANRF helps convert complex research papers into summarised video presentations, customisable in different Indian languages making them accessible to all. What makes the language of Science so arcane? The lament is real if the number of queries on Reddit and other online forums for simplifying research papers is any indication. And it’s not only the general public that wants to know “How to skim through a research paper” and get to the crux of it but also the scientific community at large. In a bid to make Science research accessible to wider audiences, researchers at IIITH with guidance from the ANRF have unveiled an AI tool that can seamlessly translate complex research papers into engaging and concise video presentations. Prof. Ponnurangan Kumaraguru who is leading the efforts from IIITH remarks that the idea of democratising research took shape while brainstorming about how to get across scientific research to the non-scientific community and get them excited enough about the breakthroughs
Secrets of dance and science; and a rare patent for Dr. Jayachandran Surendran
Jayachandran Surendran’s life is the perfect instance of an engineer-dancer who did not let stereotypes limit him. The doctoral researcher talks about legendary dance gurus and phenomenal leaps of faith that shaped his life work in south Indian dance theory, ethno choreology and Tandava philosophy. A senior dance research scholar and lecturer at IIITH’s Center for Exact Humanities, Jayachandran recently defended his Ph.D on form neutral, style neutral fundamentals of dance. Through his research, he built a pedagogical dance teaching tool called Atam, which is one of the rarest patencies, awarded in India in the arts domain. Renouncing an ascending career graph, with a high paying role in a leading multi-national, he would opt to dedicate himself to the pursuit of dance theory. His supreme sacrifice was rewarded, with tutelage under legendary greats. His passion would bring him to Kalakshetra, South India’s leading dance Institute where he would spend nine years, immersed in studying dance systems and documenting priceless artifacts.
IIITH supports SGI, hosts plantation of 1,200 trees on campus
In keeping with its green campus practices, International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) hosted a large-scale tree plantation drive of 1,200 trees on campus by Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI), with the support of One Tree Planted USA and FedEx Corporation USA. Spread across 66 acres, IIITH has been an environmentally conscious campus right since its inception – with over 2,000 trees, rainwater harvesting mechanisms and a smart campus for regulating water and electricity consumption, installation of Wi-SUN smart street lights, and being a plastic-free campus. Supporting Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI) was a natural progression of its ongoing initiatives as it aligns with the institute’s ethos and the institute’s annual tree planting exercise. Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI) strives toward restoring Hyderabad’s green cover, rebuilding ecosystems, and creating a legacy of environmental responsibility. At a time when our cities are rapidly losing their natural cover, it is hoped that corporates, educational institution, and citizen groups can draw inspiration and take action.
IIITH launches online minor program in Modern Machine Learning
IIITH through its Flexible Learning and Outreach Division, announced the launch of a fully online Minor Program in Modern Machine Learning. The program is open to students in their third year of undergraduate studies or beyond, in fields related to Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or Technology. Designed to run alongside the regular academic calendar, this one-year program follows a flexible, modular format featuring live interactive sessions, hands-on labs, real-world projects, and mentorship from IIITH faculty. Colleges may choose to recognise the Minor Certificate as a Minor Degree, based on their academic policies and interest in offering it to their students. Prof. Venkatesh Choppella, Associate Dean of DLF at IIITH, emphasized the growing impact of Machine Learning across industries, stating, “Machine Learning is rapidly transforming every sector, and our aim is to equip students with a strong foundation and hands-on experience in this high-demand field”. The program starts on 25 August. The applications open from 26 July to 15 August.
Prof. Sandeep Shukla appointed New Director of IIITH
The Governing Council of the IIITH, has announced that Prof. Sandeep Shukla from IIT Kanpur will assume charge as the new director this August. The announcement was made during the IIITH convocation ceremony held on 12 July. The current Director, Prof. P J Narayanan, is set to step down from his position soon, paving the way for Prof. Shukla to take over the institute’s leadership. Prof. Shukla is widely recognised for his expertise in cybersecurity, embedded systems, and blockchain technologies. His appointment is seen as a significant step for IIITH, given his extensive experience and contributions in these cutting-edge fields. In his remarks, Professor Sandeep Shukla expressed his honour at being entrusted with the responsibility of leading IIITH as its next Director, stating that it is a matter of great pride to take on this role. Prof. P J Narayanan, the director of IIITH, will step down in Aug after 12 years at the helm. Taking over as director will be Sandeep Shukla from IIT Kanpur. “After I step down as director, I’ll continue working as a faculty member at the institute,” said Narayanan.
IIITH celebrates 24th Convocation 2025
IIITH conducted its 24th convocation and graduated 529 students. Vineeth Bhat, B.Tech (Honours) in CSE was awarded the IIITH gold medal in recognition of his outstanding academic performance. Revanth Kumar Gundam, (B.Tech in Computer Science and MS in CL by Research) was awarded Best All-rounder for his notable contributions in academics, extra-curricular activities and IIITH services. Pradeep Kumar Pal (Ph.D in CNS) received the Banyan Award for consistent voluntary efforts relating to student affairs. Commending the graduating students, Prof. P J Narayanan, said, “The graduating students of 2025 are joining the professional world formally today, out to chart their own paths in this increasingly competitive and complicated world. I am confident you possess highly useful skills in your area and immense creativity to apply those to different problems. Above all, I urge you to travel your life’s journey with deep concern and caring toward the society around you. We expect the best from you in the coming years and are confident you will exceed our expectations”.
AIIMS Bibinagar and CIE at IIITH host AI for healthcare hackathon
AIIMS Bibinagar and CIE (Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, at IIIT Hyderabad) hosted the MedCare AI Impact Hackathon — a unique innovation challenge designed to empower doctors, medical students, and health researchers to tackle real-world clinical problems through deep tech research-led innovation. The day-long event saw participation from 17 shortlisted teams, representing doctors, medical faculty, researchers, and students. The program aimed to bridge clinical expertise with AI-driven research and development by nurturing healthcare innovations directly from the field. Launched as a grassroots initiative by AIIMS Bibinagar, the hackathon focused on building clinical tools, diagnostics, patient care apps, and new care delivery models. Participants received intensive 1:1 mentorship, attended expert lectures, and collaborated with IIIT Hyderabad faculty and startups during the immersive sessions.
IIIT Hyderabad shines at CVPR 2025 with over 7 Research Papers Across Tracks
A large contingent from IIITH’s Computer Vision Lab participated at the Conference on Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) last month in Nashville. Computer vision researchers aim to have a paper accepted in CVPR to have validation of the quality of research work, its significance and a strong indicator of its potential for impact. CVPR is regarded as one of the top 3 prestigious conferences on computer vision and is ranked second (only to Nature) overall by Google Scholar Metrics outperforming several leading journal publications. It typically has a less than 30% acceptance rate for all papers and less than 5% for oral presentations. CVIT at IIITH has been associated with the prestigious conference dating all the way back to 2008 when Prof. CV Jawahar was selected as an ‘Outstanding Reviewer’. Since then the lab has been marking its presence at the conference annually with a number of paper presentations. This year too, a large contingent from IIITH stood out for their research haul of over 7 papers.