Ekashmi Rathore wins the Falling Walls Lab India 2017

Chennai: The Falling Walls Lab India 2017 took place at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) on Saturday, 12 August 2017. The Falling Walls Lab is a unique platform where innovative young minds present their research project, business plan, entrepreneurial or social initiative in three minutes. 14 young people made it to the final round of the Lab from across India this year. The jury included eminent academicians, professionals and industry representatives.

Ekashmi Rathore from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Bangalore was selected the winner of the Lab for her presentation ‘Breaking the Walls of slow death – safer water, smarter tomorrow’. Her win qualifies Ekashmi to participate in the Finale in Berlin, Germany and participation in the prestigious Falling Walls Conference where renowned scientists from the world over present their research. Her visit will be sponsored by the German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New Delhi. Entrepreneurs Murugesan Venkatesan and Sachin Dubey secured the second and the third position for their work on End-of-Life-Vehicle recycling and Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) respectively. Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director IIT Madras and Michael Wegener, Deputy Consul General of Germany in Chennai gave prizes to the winners.

The Falling Walls Lab India was organised by the German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New Delhi, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.