(Photo: Open House 2025) 

New Delhi: The 18th edition of the Open House, a flagship initiative by IIT Delhi wherein it showcases cutting-edge research done by its students and faculty to the funding agencies, industry, and school and college students, was organized on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

Around 3500 visitors, including senior st345udents from various schools & colleges, their teachers, and representatives from industry and funding agencies, visited the Open House to explore the country’s premier science and engineering institution. The visitors witnessed the exhibition of groundbreaking research, innovative projects, and scientific posters.

Open House showcased more than 200 scientific posters and live demos and 20 laboratories highlighting cutting-edge research across diverse domains ranging from computer science and AI to defence and national security that offer new opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and national development. The Institute hopes that Open House experiences will ignite curiosity and passion in every young mind, paving the way for the next generation of innovators and leaders.

The Dean of Research and Development at IIT Delhi, Prof. Ashwini Agrawal, while welcoming the guests and visitors to the Open House, said, “This event opens the doors of IIT Delhi to welcome all societal stakeholders, particularly young students, the future of our nation, representatives from industries, government agencies, and the media. It’s a wonderful opportunity for school students and college students from within and around Delhi to see, feel, engage, and interact with the vibrant IIT Delhi ecosystem that constantly challenges and inspires young minds.”

Prof. B.S. Butola, Chairman, Open House 2025, gave a brief introduction about Open House. 

Open House 2025 focused on 10 themes, including Healthcare, Biotechnology; Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and Robotics; Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure; Advanced Material and Devices; Energy, Climate & Sustainability; Quantum & Semiconductor Technologies; Next Generation Communication; Management, Policy, Social Sciences; AI-ML/Data Science/Algorithms; and Fundamental Science.

Among the various research projects that were showcased at the Open House are 3D mapping using 2D LiDAR, Automatic detection and grading of celiac disease, Energy-efficient electrochromic smart window, NanoSense: Next generation gas sensors, ReWear: Reimagining textile waste into sustainable apparel, Brain in Action: Understanding memory and decision-making, Healing power of herbs: The science behind plant medicines, Rapid test kits for quality assurance of food and feed commodities, etc.

(Photo: Shri Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, former DST Secretary) 

Chief Guest Padma Shri Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, former DST Secretary, delivered the keynote address titled “What Makes S&T Work (or Not!)” at the Open House 2025.

Speaking at the Open House, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said, “There are two different things that India has to develop to become Viksit Bharat by 2047. Each one of us also has to develop and meet the challenges of the future. Of the two overarching challenges, the first one is sustainable development, and another one is the rise of intelligent machines. Sustainable development, in fact, is an oxymoron because sustainability and our idea of development- they pull in two different directions, which are in conflict with each other, and in order to balance that future, this requires extraordinary, deeper thinking and acting.”

He added that to solve a problem, one has to be interdisciplinary and have synthesis rather than analysis.

(Photo: Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi)

Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said, "We are keen to develop long-term partnerships with industry and society in our goal to enhance impact through education, research, and innovation. Today’s Open House showcases our existing research and collaboration. We hope that this will result in enhanced partnerships for mutual benefit. Students can also explore exciting research futures after their exposure in this Open House.”

Dr. Ranjana Nallamalli, Director, DFTM DRDO, who visited the Open House, said, “Open House at IIT Delhi is an inspiring showcase of student ingenuity and cutting-edge research, from elegant prototypes to real-world solutions. The openness to collaboration promises a strong bridge between academia, industry, and the community.” 

Dr Anurag Tripathi, Info Origin INC (Director of AI), said, “This showcase gives industry a direct line to emerging technologies at IIT Delhi enabling us to spot innovation, form partnerships and accelerate commercialization. We’re excited to engage with ground-breaking research and build a talent pipeline that fuels real-world impact in the marketplace.

Neha Bhardwaj, a teacher from Madhav Vidyapeeth, Jaipur, said, “The Open House was truly inspiring. It offered our students a wonderful chance to witness innovation firsthand and understand how science and technology can shape a better future.”

Priyanka, a Physics student from DU’s Daulat Ram College, said, “It was exciting to see innovative projects in robotics and polarization research. The Open House provided a great opportunity to explore cutting-edge ideas and learn from the creative work happening across IIT Delhi.”

Shambhavi, a class 12^th student from Amity School, Noida, said, “It was inspiring to see how new research is solving real-life problems. The Open House motivated me to learn more about science and technology and be part of future innovations.” 

At the Open House, Prof. Sunil Jha, a faculty of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Delhi, delivered a talk titled “AI, Robotics, and the Future of Manufacturing.” Prof. Anurag S. Rathore, a Chemical Engineering faculty at the Institute, delivered a talk on “Opportunities for Contributing to the Indian Biotech Ecosystem. 

Prof. Rajendra Singh, Associate Dean (R&D), proposed a vote of thanks.

Watch Open House inaugural function:  https://www.youtube.com/live/Ahd7apvlD2s?si=AvqUMu0DqOmu4dHO 

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