This work by Researchers at IIT Hyderabad has been spurred by the increasing need to replace the fossil fuels by bio-derived fuels, which in turn is driven by the dwindling fossil fuel reserves all over the world and pollution issues associated with the use of fossil fuels.

The model has also shown that feed availability to the tune of at least 40 per cent of the capacity is needed to meet the projected demands.

The Researchers at IIT Hyderabad for this work were Dr. Kishalay Mitra, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad with his Research Scholar Mr. Kapil Gumte.

The results of the work by Researchers at IIT Hyderabad were recently published in the prestigious peer-reviewed Journal of Cleaner Production.

There is another delightful news. This research paper also won the ‘Best Paper Award’ during the Sixth International Conference on Advances in Control and Optimization of Dynamical Systems held at IIT Madras earlier this year.

Dr. Mitra and his team analysed the bio-supply chain network through computational studies. Speaking about the work done by Researchers at IIT Hyderabad Dr. Kishalay Mitra said in India, biofuels generated from non-food sources is the most promising source of carbon-neutral renewable energy.

These second-generation sources include agricultural waste products such as straw, hay and wood, among others, that do not intrude upon food sources.

Models such as those developed at IIT Hyderabad allow the society to understand the effects of uncertainty in the network parameters on the demand-supply dynamics and can help policymakers devise and revise strategies to meet the future demands of biofuels.

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Further elaborating on the work done by Researchers at IIT Hyderabad Research Scholar, IIT Hyderabad said they use Machine Learning techniques to understand the supply chain network.

Machine learning is a branch of Artificial Intelligence in which, the computer learns patterns from available data and updates automatically to produce an understanding of the system and predictions of the future, he said.

India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol program, launched in 2013, has been growing over the years. It is now mandatory in India to blend fuel grade bioethanol with petrol (gasoline) to reduce the burden of crude oil import.

The current target is to blend bioethanol to levels close to 20 percent with gasoline. In a move towards green energy, the government also hopes to replace 20 per cent of fossil-fuel derived diesel by biodiesel.

Researchers at IIT Hyderabad have considered multiple technologies available for bioenergy generation across several zones in the country and performed a thorough feasibility study using data of suppliers, transport, storage and production, among others, published by the Indian Government.

The techno-economic-environmental analysis on country-wide multi-layered supply chain network and the use of Machine Learning techniques have helped us capture the uncertainty in forecasting demands and other supply chain parameters and their effects on the operational and design decisions in the long run, added Dr. Kishalay Mitra who is a part of the team of Researchers at IIT Hyderabad.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has collaborated with z21 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm operated by its alumni. The z21 venture capital firm founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni will invest a total of Rs 2.5 crore in this partnership. The institute mentioned in a statement on Friday that the preliminary investment per team in this collaboration will be Rs 25 lakh.

As a result, IIT Kharagpur and z21 Ventures are joining hands to start an innovative program to provide final-year students with the necessary support and resources to create a successful startup.

The accelerator is created to leverage exceptional talent from IIT Kharagpur, turning ambitious ideas into market-ready startups. It will provide participants with unparalleled access to mentorship, funding, and premium resources. Centred on developing technological, scalable solutions to global challenges, the program will combine the latest research capabilities by IIT Kharagpur with the investment success cultivated by z21 Ventures to empower student entrepreneurs to make lasting, transformative changes.

• Mentorship: Direct guidance from successful entrepreneurs, industry experts, and venture capitalists.
• Seed Funding: Access to early-stage funding opportunities to ignite their ventures.
• Workshops and Training: Tailored sessions on business-building necessary features, including business development, product-market fit, fundraising, and scaling operations.
• Networking: Opportunities to connect with a wide network of investors, successful entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders, that promote partnership and business development.

The accelerator is designed to tap into the immense talent pool at KGP and translate bold ideas into marketable ventures. It offers a platform with unmatched access to mentorship, funding, and top-tier resources for participants. The focus of this program would be on building technical, scalable solutions to global challenges by leveraging IIT Kharagpur’s cutting-edge research along with proven investments in z21 Ventures. This is meant to empower student entrepreneurs to change the world.

First cohort and the structure of the program

The accelerator program will accept up to 10 teams in the first cohort. Throughout the program, these teams will continue to receive mentoring, strategic guidance, and seed funding in efforts to develop their ideas into products. Participants will also tap into the extensive network of z21 Ventures’ industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, and experienced advisors dedicated to guiding them toward market success. Critical infrastructure support would also be offered by IIT Kharagpur even after graduation to ease the transition from idea development to execution.

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“Start-up Accelerator Program with z21 Ventures, founded by our esteemed IIT alumni, to launch the ‘KGP Forge Entrepreneur’ is a structured accelerator program created to teach the students about company building, basic company finance and company law, fundraising etc. It is a significant step toward empowering our BTech, MTech, and PhD students. This collaboration aims to provide budding entrepreneurs with mentorship, resources, financial support and professional networks sufficient to convert their ideas into successful startups”, said V K Tewari, Director, of IIT Kharagpur. KGP alumni can also participate in this transformative program, in case they collaborate with current KGP students on their founding teams.

Conclusion

The IIT Kharagpur and z21 Ventures collaboration marks a transformative step in advancing student entrepreneurship. With its first cohort set to support up to 10 teams, this accelerator program gives aspiring entrepreneurs a solid platform from which they can turn innovative ideas into impactful startups. Combining cutting-edge research from IIT Kharagpur with investment expertise from z21 Ventures, this initiative will focus on scalable solutions to global challenges. This is done through mentorship, funding, and comprehensive resources to equip the participants to make meaningful contributions and lay the foundation for generations yet to come of trailblazing innovators.