The IIT Madras Alumni Association Thiruvananthapuram Chapter (IITMAA-T) held its first annual meet on Saturday.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientific secretary Ganesh Pillai, who was the chief guest on the occasion, outlined India’s Space Vision 2047 and the upcoming advanced missions such as a third launch pad of ISRO, Venus orbiter mission, Chandrayaan-4, and Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV). He also highlighted the contributions of IIT Madras’ alumni to India’s space missions, including setting up a Centre of Excellence at IIT Madras recently in the name of S. Ramakrishnan, former Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

Hydrogen energy

Delivering the keynote address, C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), advocated a holistic energy management strategy for India. Elaborating on the possibilities of emerging technologies such as hydrogen energy, he hailed Kerala’s initiative to introduce hydrogen-powered buses.

Speaking on the occasion, M.S. Rajasree, former Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and chief executive officer of TREST Research Park, spoke about the emerging opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing. She also highlighted Kerala’s potential to become a hub for electronics innovation through advancements in silicon wafer design and semiconductor fabrication.

Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Affairs, IIT Madras; Bobby George, head of the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras; Kaviraj Nair, CEO of Institutional Advancement, IIT Madras; and Nishani Manohar, executive director, IITMAA also spoke.