Recent Key Events of PALS

PALS Hyderabad (PALSH) First Year Anniversary

Activities of PALS as a social outreach program of IITM have been brought to the attention of MHRD and PMO. PALS have been encouraged to reach out and extend the model in other parts of India.

Andhra / Telangana region has been the first choice with IITH / large alumni community / many colleges and industry support.

Thirteen Institutions from Andhra / Telangana region had enrolled to PALS 2023-24 edition and successfully participated in the various events conducted during the year. Apart from attending the virtual programs and physical programs at IITM, PALSH partner institutes also had an additional advantage of programs organized by PALS H Hub in collaboration with IITH / local industry and alumni experts.

First year Anniversary and annual day was celeberated with all the Partner Institutions, Dr. B S Murty, Director IITH as the chief guest. It was a grand event with participants from IITH, Alumni, Industry, and all Partner Institutions attending

PALS Roadshow across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu

PALS conducted a series of roadshows across various clusters in the southern states. These roadshows aimed to facilitate interactions among senior management representatives from engineering institutions, industry partners, and IIT alumni. The events were designed to engage the teaching community with PALS programs, focusing on enhancing engineering education and preparing students with skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry readiness. Roadshows were held in Kerala, Madurai, Kovai, and Mysuru, attracting senior management representatives from neighboring engineering colleges. The PALS Roadshows served as an impactful platform for fostering collaboration and dialogue between academia and industry, further advancing the initiative’s objectives. 

CII IWN One Day FDP Salem

The CII Salem chapter recently hosted an event attended by 98 participants, with over 112 registrations and 10 additional attendees from PALS Partner Institutions and contacts. Prof. Nagarajan’s,IIT Madras session focused on institutional development and research, sparking questions about setting up and developing research parks. Prof. Siva,IIT Madras conducted an engaging, activity-based workshop on modern teaching aids and effective student engagement, which participants greatly enjoyed. PALS Chairperson Mr. C N Chandrasekaran and Vice-Chair Mrs Vijayalakshmi Sankar also participated in the event. The Indian Women Network (IWN) Salem chapter coordinated the program. The event was successfully held at Annapoorna Engineering College, Salem on 19th October 2024.

PALS Conducts Finals of First Edition of ACDC Hackathon

April 08, 2025 | IIT Madras “Discovery” Campus, Thaiyur, Chennai

PALS, an IIT Alumni initiative, successfully concluded the finals of the inaugural ACDC Hackathon — Aquatic Cleanup Drone Challenge — at IIT Madras’ “Discovery” Campus. This unique, water-based challenge brought together 8 finalist teams from 6 engineering colleges, showcasing year-long dedication to solving one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges: cleaning polluted water bodies using autonomous aquatic drones.

Launched in August 2024, the competition invited student-faculty teams from across India to conceptualize, build, and demonstrate unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) capable of clearing floating debris. With support from Deepcyan Software, Cu-Circuits, and the International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW), ACDC aimed not only to promote technological innovation but also to spark a deeper commitment to sustainability and entrepreneurship among young engineers.

The grand finale featured real-time demonstrations of the autonomous boats, evaluated by an expert jury. The event was graced by Dr. Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director, NIOT, and saw enthusiastic participation from students, faculty, and industry leaders alike.

“Your innovative Aqua cleaning drone has made a significant impact… Your work embodies the spirit of innovation and sustainability that we strive for.”
— Mr. CN Chandrasekaran, Chairperson, PALS

“This competition stands testimony to the commitment of PALS towards building a better society by igniting young minds and pushing them toward innovation.”
— Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras

“We shall continue to support these innovators in commercialising their products… ACDC is just the beginning.”
— Mr. Sayandeep Purkayasth, CEO, Deepcyan Software

PALS Leadership Conclave 2025: Empowering Institutions Towards Global Eminence

March 13, 2025 | IIT Madras, Chennai

PALS hosted its Leadership Conclave 2025 at IIT Madras on March 13th, bringing together senior management from 40 partner engineering institutions for a deep-dive into building globally eminent institutions. Designed as a one-of-a-kind, high-impact workshop, the conclave was centered around the theme “Building Global Eminence in Institutions”—addressing the strategic, operational, and visionary challenges faced by Indian engineering colleges.

The day-long event featured keynote sessions, three expert-led panel discussions, interactive workshops with case studies, and peer learning opportunities. Participants explored actionable frameworks to define institutional vision, align research and teaching, foster industry-academia collaboration, encourage entrepreneurship, and build robust alumni networks. The sessions were curated and conducted by a former Dean of IIT Madras, whose decade-long leadership journey at IITM added rich insights and credibility.

Panel discussions included:

  • Teaching & Research: Balancing segmentation with synergy

  • Industry Alignment & Entrepreneurship: Nurturing an innovation mindset

  • Role of Alumni: Building strong, strategic alumni relations for long-term success

80 senior academic leaders worked in focused groups on custom case studies to simulate institutional transformation strategies. Each group presented its roadmap to becoming a globally eminent institution, receiving expert feedback and suggestions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Vision setting and strategic planning

  • Identifying core development pillars

  • Defining quantifiable goals and outcomes

  • Building public perception and institutional branding

A special Networking Dinner was held on the eve of the conclave (March 12), attended by industry leaders, IITM professors, and PALS partners. Participants also visited the IIT Madras Research Park, new academic departments, and the Heritage Centre, gaining first-hand exposure to IITM’s innovation ecosystem.
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