IIT Roorkee-based startup wins the DRDO’s “Dare to Dream 3.0″ contest for Battery Development
Roorkee: The Indigenous Energy Storage Technologies Pvt Ltd. (Indienergy), a start-up incubated at Technology Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development Society (TIDES), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee), has been declared the winner of the DRDO’s “Dare to Dream 3.0” innovation contest in the Startup Category. This startup works for Sodium (Na)-ion Battery Technology development. The Na-ion batteries are cost-effective and in line with Aatm Nirbhar Bharat’s objectives. It is noteworthy the startup develops all the necessary components locally to commercialize the battery technology.
TIEDS has been established to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. To accomplish its goal, TIEDS runs and manages a Business Incubator called Technology Innovation & Development of Entrepreneurship Support (TIDES) Business Incubator hosted at IIT, Roorkee.
Mr. Akash Soni, Prof. Yogesh Sharma, Dr. Nagesh Kumar, and Dr. Asit Sahoo, as an Indigenous Energy Storage Technologies Pvt Ltd. team, bagged the first prize in the DRDO’s “Dare to Dream 3.0” content. An Award of Rs 10 lakh is given by the honorable Defence Minister, Sh, Rajnath Singh Ji. Last year in the “Dare to Dream 2.0” Contest, Prof. Sudipta Sarkar from IIT Roorkee was the winner of the innovation contest in the individual category. Also, Log 9 Materials Sci Pvt Ltd., the first startup incubated by TIDES, IIT Roorkee, had won the Second prize in the startup category the previous year.
The Dare to Dream contest was initiated in memory of the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, to identify ideas and technologies having the potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs. It aims to unearth disruptive ideas and concepts by the DRDO in the emerging technologies by individuals & startups for enhancing defence capabilities.
Honorable Defence Minister, Sh, Rajnath Singh Ji said, “Starting from the science of trial and error to mastering cultivation and agriculture, we have understood the science of civilization. But for further progress and achieving new goals, new methods must be employed. And this is what I call Research and Development towards a better future and an Aatm Nirbhar Bharat.”
Congratulating the winners, Acting Director Prof. M.L. Sharma, IIT Roorkee, highlighted, “Currently TIDES under IIT Roorkee has 119 start-ups and the mindset of the institute and the facilities available in the campus provide a smooth ride from ideation to creation. Moreover, in addition to academic research, the ecosystem of the institute allows for innovation to flourish combined with entrepreneurship.”
Prof Yogesh Sharma, Associate Professor, IITR and Co-founder, Indienergy said building a strong, self-sufficient India in battery manufacturing requires the collective desires and efforts of the entire nation. IIT Roorkee’s support for Indinergy in its quest to develop indigenous battery technology is due acknowledged. To make India Aatm Nirbhar in energy storage, we have been working not only on cell technology but also creating a local supply chain for raw materials for Na-ion batteries.
Mr. Akash Soni, CEO and Co-founder said, “Indi Energy is on a mission to develop low-cost, safe, and high-performance Sodium-Ion Batteries. If Electric mobility and renewable energy recourse are to be fully utilized, a cheaper battery is the utmost requirement. In the journey of developing game-changing technology, we are delighted to receive the first prize from our Defence organizations. Such recognitions and appreciation are the booster and keep motivating us to accomplish our goals.