Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students will organize a Space Tech Summit as part of the annual technical festival Shaastra to promote innovation and collaboration in the sector. After a gap of two years, Shaastra 2023 which is among the largest student-run technical festivals in the country, will be conducted in physical mode this year from January 26 to 29 2023.
Besides Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), IIT Madras students are partnering with the top space-tech entities in India, such as GalaxEye Space, and AgniKul Cosmos, for the Space Tech Summit. It will also bring together top minds in space industry and provide a platform to network through a series of professional workshops, interactive lectures, panel discussions, and VC pitching sessions, among others.
Workshops will also be held on technologies such as machine learning, robotics, astronomy and Web 3.0 besides management and finance, among others. ‘Symbiosis 2023,’ a mini-fest under Shaastra 2023, brings together experts and enthusiasts from AI, ML, and DS to explore the theme of the new era.
Addressing a Press Conference on the campus today (25th Jan 2023), Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “There will be several open-house workshops on the top technologies that IIT Madras has invented which include 5G and Hyperloop.”
Shaastra 2023 highlights
Speaking further on outcomes expected through Shaastra 2023, Professor V Kamakoti said, “With regard to space technology, IIT Madras looks forward to motivating people on both rocket and satellite development. One of the outcomes expected is on the understanding of what the applications of commercial space are. This can be a seed for startups to help decide what kind of satellites need to be built in the future.”
Shaastra will also host school students as part of the Institute Open House, providing an opportunity to explore IIT Madras campus and its world-class facilities. They will interact with researchers who will present their work. The fest will also witness the final round of the ‘Junior Make-a-Thon,’ where school students will exhibit the prototypes they built through the mentorship process, aimed at solving real-world problems.
Highlighting the learnings to students from organizing such events, Prof. Nilesh J Vasa, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, said, “The transition from a completely online mode to an on-ground mode is not an easy task, and the team has been working very diligently. We look forward to extending a warm welcome to all the participants, speakers, judges and other stakeholders and host them on our campus as part of Shaastra. Boeing’s Aeromodelling contest and the finals of Flipkart GRiD 4.0 Robotics Challenge are some exciting events to look out for!”
Lauding the student’s efforts towards organizing this massive event, Prof. Ratna Kumar Annabattula, Co-Curricular Advisor, IIT Madras, said, “Shaastra 2023 will feature keynote lectures by industry professionals from Google, Siemens and Subex, among others, as well as workshops and events that allow participants to demonstrate their talents. The event will also host programming hackathons supported by brands such as M2P, Wells Fargo, L&T and Schlumberger, among others, to challenge students’ programming prowess as they compete against the brightest minds of the country to tackle practical, real-life problems with original and innovative solutions. The Shaastra team has been relentlessly working on making the whole event a success, and we look forward to seeing their efforts reap fruit. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors for their support.”