IIT Madras

What if India’s next generation of doctors are trained at an IIT? 🩺🔬

IIT Madras is exploring plans to establish a School of Medical Sciences, with a vision to eventually offer MBBS, MD and PhD programmes.

The proposed initiative aims to bring together medicine, engineering, technology and research to address some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges.

Building on its Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, established in 2023, IIT Madras is strengthening its interdisciplinary approach to healthcare education and innovation.

The proposed medical school will require necessary regulatory approvals and infrastructure, including a teaching hospital, as per National Medical Commission requirements.

From engineering solutions to medical innovation, IIT Madras is exploring new possibilities at the intersection of technology and healthcare.

Read the full article here: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/iit-madras-medical-school-doctors-mbbs-degrees-professor-kamakoti-2975359-2026-08-20

India Today IIT Madras

Education

India’s energy innovation ecosystem is getting a major boost!

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), Government of India, in collaboration with IIT Madras and MC² Foundation, has launched MC²+ Ignite, a sector-specific accelerator to support deep-tech startups developing solutions for India’s energy sector.

Launched at IIT Madras in the presence of senior leaders from MoPNG, ONGC, OIL, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, EIL, Reliance Industries and bp India, the programme aims to help startups move from working prototypes to industry-scale pilots and commercial deployment through milestone-linked funding, advanced labs, pilot sites, technical mentorship and industry access.

MC²+ Ignite brings together milestone-linked funding, advanced labs, pilot sites, technical mentorship, industry expertise and pathways to technology validation and procurement.

🚀 ~30 startups at TRL 4–7 will be selected.
💰 Up to ₹50 lakh in milestone-linked funding, with an additional ₹1.5 crore possible for outstanding performers at Demo Day.

Eligibility: Indian startups under 5 years old, raised ≤₹10 crore, with a technical co-founder and working prototype/early pilot.

📅 Deadline: 31 August 2026
🔗 Apply: www.mc2plus

IIT Madras Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India

Exciting News! | CoE Winter School & Conference 2026 @ IIT Madras

We are delighted to announce the 4th Edition of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) Winter School and the 3rd Edition of the CoE Conference on Molecular Materials and Functions at IIT Madras!

CoE Winter School (Nov 21–25, 2026)
A unique opportunity for students and early-career researchers in nanoscience & nanotechnology to learn cutting-edge concepts from leading experts worldwide.

CoE Conference (Nov 26–28, 2026)
Explore insightful sessions on nanomaterials & nanotechnology, connect with experts, and engage in discussions on emerging challenges and opportunities.

Why participate?
Learn from global experts
Network with researchers, industry, and startups
Showcase your work (Poster Presentations open!)
Gain exposure to frontier research

Venue: ICSR Hall, IIT Madras
Important: Separate registration required for each event

Register now:
Winter School: https://molmatter.org/coe-winter-school-2026/
Conference: https://molmatter.org/conference-2026/

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the brightest minds in nanoscience!

IIT Madras

🚛 Be part of India's next sunrise mobility opportunity.

As India's electric truck and bus market gathers momentum, financing institutions will play a pivotal role in accelerating the transition.

To build capacity within the financial ecosystem, the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE), IIT Madras, in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking (CoEZET), IIT Madras, and supported by WRI India, is organizing the eCV Financing Paathshaala—a multi-city workshop series designed to equip finance professionals with the knowledge and tools to finance electric commercial vehicles with confidence.

What you'll learn:
🚛 Electric truck & bus market outlook and adoption trends
🔋 Technology, batteries, and charging ecosystem
📊 Business case and total cost of ownership (TCO)
💰 Financing models, risk assessment, and de-risking mechanisms for electric commercial vehicles

📍 Workshop Locations
* Chennai | 21 August 2026
* Bengaluru | 17 September 2026
* Delhi | 22–23 September 2026
* Mumbai | 19–20 November 2026

📝 No registration charges | Limited seats

The workshop series is designed for professionals from banks, NBFCs, DFIs, and the wider vehicle financing ecosystem. Participants who successfully complete the workshop will receive a Certificate of Participation, jointly issued by CODE, IIT Madras, and CoEZET, IIT Madras.

RSVP now: https://forms.gle/2siiHcQm2Ru6RueUA

IIT Madras

Infrastructure growth in India has been rapid, but trust and safety often lag behind.

The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety is pleased to announce Mr. Anuj Gupta, Managing Director, BowerGroupAsia, as the speaker for the next session of CoERS Leadership Lecture Series. Mr. Anuj will join us at IIT Madras, his alma mater, to examine this gap and what it means for the country's road ahead.

Topic: From Highways to High Trust and High Safety: The Missing Ingredient in India's Infrastructure Revolution

Date: 21 August 2026 (Friday)
Time: 4:30 PM
Venue: Hall 3, IC&SR, IIT Madras
Everyone at IIT Madras is welcome to join the session.

Mr. Anuj is the Managing Director for India at BowerGroupAsia (BGA), an American policy consulting firm. He previously headed public policy for the Tata Group, advising over 30 companies across technology, finance and manufacturing. His work has also involved close engagement with government institutions in India and abroad on trade, energy and infrastructure policy.

His talk continues our effort to bring practitioners and thinkers together to explore critical questions in road safety, mobility and public policy.

As AI systems get better at answering questions, the harder question is what happens to the human instinct to ask them. Does curiosity survive contact with a machine that already has the answer, or does it change shape entirely?

The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI), IIT Madras, brings together physicists, AI researchers, and science writers for an afternoon exploring where artificial intelligence, human curiosity, and scientific discovery intersect... and where they might be headed next - Science & Curiosity in the Age of AI

The programme will feature:

Prof. B. Ananthanarayan
Professor & Former Chairman, Centre for High Energy Physics, IISc Bengaluru

Prof. Balaraman Ravindran
Professor & Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras

Mr. Anil Ananthaswamy
Professor of Practice, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras

The programme includes talks on AI for Physics, Reinforcement Learning and Curiosity, and the Joy of Scientific Discovery, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

📅 27 August 2026
🕑 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📍 Central Lecture Theatre (CLT), IIT Madras

Registration: https://forms.gle/cuibExVTaR54FmP87

Agenda: tinyurl.com/SC-AI-Ag

We look forward to seeing you at IIT Madras.

IIT Madras

Why does junk food often win the social media attention game? New research from IIT Madras explores how food brands use digital content to influence engagement and visibility.

Researchers Ms Christy Maria TS and Dr Varisha Rehman, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, analysed 21,967 Instagram and Twitter posts using AutoML and advanced analytical techniques to compare healthy and unhealthy food brands.

The study reveals that unhealthy brands leverage engaging, non-transactional content, particularly on Instagram, while healthy brands tend to rely on product-focused communication across platforms.

The takeaway? Healthy food needs better storytelling. Eye-catching visuals, entertainment, and platform-specific strategies could make nutritious choices more appealing to online audiences.

The research also contributes to UN SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, highlighting how smarter digital communication can support healthier choices.

🔗 Read the Tech Talk: https://tech-talk.iitm.ac.in/too-much-junk-online/

📄 Read the study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650487.2026.2670876