S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Madras CFI students showcased 60 cutting-edge tech innovations built by nearly 1,000 students across 26 teams.
The innovations were on display during CFI (Centre for Innovation) Open House 2025 held in the campus on 15 March 2025.
Lab
One of India’s largest student-run innovation lab, CFI houses 14 clubs spanning diverse technological domains alongside eight competition teams that actively compete in National and International events, say sources from IIT Madras.
Annually
Conducted annually, CFI Open House features products completely designed and built by students.
This event offers a unique platform for the projects to gain visibility and attract further support from the Industry and Alumni, say sources from IIT Madras.
Stand out exhibits
Open House 2025 witnessed many standout exhibits including:
Ø ‘S.A.M.V.I.D’, an AI-powered humanoid designed to assist visitors at India’s first Constitution Museum at OP Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana
Ø ‘Supersyringe’, a volume-gated syringe that ensures precise anaesthesia dosage
Ø ‘Drone Swarm’, a coordinated fleet of drones designed for payload lifting and delivery
Director of IIT Madras
Calling upon the Industry and Alumni community to help take these innovations to the market, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “CFI is central to IITM’s ‘I&E stack’ and has fostered a culture of building among our student community.
A vast majority of our undergraduates and a growing number of graduate students participate in CFI and allied activities, said IIT Madras director.
I am glad to note that this year has seen stellar performances by CFI teams in reputed National and International competitions while also showcasing some exceptional innovations and enriching our IP base, he said.
Entrepreneurship
IIT Madras director further said he was happy as a number of CFI students are also taking entrepreneurship seriously with teams reaching out to the pre-incubator Nirmaan.
This year also marked the first time that a former CFI student head (Mr. Sarthak Saurav) founding and joining his own startup (Matterize) immediately upon graduation, he said.
I congratulate the teams, student executives, the faculty mentors and support staff for putting on such a wonderful show and encourage them to continue and contribute more strongly to mission ‘Startup Shatam,’ he said.
Beacon
Prof. Sathyanarayana N Gummadi, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, said, “CFI is a beacon of innovation and creativity. This year, we had over 60 projects involving 1,000 students to showcase their innovations in the Open House.
Interestingly, this year we filed 15 patents based on the innovations and we are probably looking for three potential startups, he said.
I strongly believe that this year, the CFI team is moving in the right path of protecting more intellectual property and converting ideas to a product. In this direction, IIT Madras will soon achieve the target of Startup Shatam,” he said.
Highlights
On the software and AI front, projects like ‘Blink’, an audio-based VR game enhancing accessibility for visually impaired users and ‘AI Rahaman’, a multi-track fusion music generator blending different genres, pushed the boundaries of immersive technology.
‘Axify’, an advanced image processing tool that optimizes file sizes while maintaining quality and ‘QuanCrypt’, a post-quantum cryptography library ensuring future-proof security, showcased innovations in computational efficiency and cybersecurity, say sources from IIT Madras.
Meanwhile, ‘TradeCraft’, an AI-driven predictive trading platform, allowed users to simulate stock, futures, and options trading in a risk-free environment, making financial markets more accessible.
Team Raftar, the Formula Student EV race car team, clinched first place in ‘Overall Statics’ at Formula Bharat 2025, securing top honours in Engineering Design, Cost and Manufacturing, and Best Battery Pack.
Team iGEM earned a Gold Medal at the prestigious International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition, reinforcing its excellence in synthetic biology.
Team Avishkar is developing a sub-scale passenger cabin and pioneering booster-cruiser technology for Hyperloop while replacing steel tubes with cost-effective concrete tubes to make infrastructure more scalable.
Their test track enables real-world validation of aerodynamics, levitation, propulsion, and safety systems, driving the future of sustainable high-speed transportation in India.
These victories mark another milestone in CFI’s legacy of technological innovation and global impact, say sources from IIT Madras.
For innovators
Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal, Advisor (Innovation and Entrepreneurship), CFI-IIT Madras, said, “The CFI Open House is the annual power-packed showcase of projects conducted by all the teams working within the umbrella of our Innovation Hub.
Madhavnambi R V, Student Executive Head, Centre For Innovation (CFI) – IIT Madras, said, “Over the years, CFI has grown tremendously, transforming into a resourceful hub for anyone with a vision. With diverse clubs and competition teams covering multiple domains, it provides a platform for innovators of all backgrounds to pursue their ideas.
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