Top tech institutes to showcase innovations at Sec 17 in Nov

The city’s Parade Ground in Sector 17 will turn into the nation’s innovation hub from November 14 to 17, as some of India’s premier institutions gather for the National Transfer of Technology (ToT) Exhibition.

Organised by the DST–Technology Enabling Centre (TEC), Panjab University, in collaboration with Fortune Exhibitors, the four-day event will bring together leading researchers, industrialists and innovators. The aim is to accelerate the transition of technologies from laboratories to markets.

Dr Ajay Sharma, senior manager, DST–TEC, described the exhibition as an important milestone in strengthening the innovation ecosystem. “It marks a major step forward in promoting indigenous innovation and fostering sustainable academia–industry partnerships for national growth. For universities seeking to bring their research to market and industries looking for their next breakthrough — this is the stage where India’s brightest ideas meet their future,” he said

Sharma added that registrations for academic and startup stalls were still open. He encouraged startups to participate to find clients, network, seek investors and refine their innovations based on industry feedback.

The exhibition, set alongside the Machma Expo 2025, will feature more than 200 stalls from industry and around 30 from academia, showcasing technologies, specialised courses and high-end laboratory facilities being offered to industries. A footfall of nearly 10,000 visitors from business and research sectors is expected during the event.

India’s leading academic and research institutions, including IIT Kanpur, CSIR–IMTech, Delhi Technological University (DTU), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Hyderabad, Shoolini University, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali and Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) Mohali, will exhibit their innovations. Talks are also nearing completion with CSIR–CSIO, IIT Ropar, Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Chitkara University, and IIT Mandi iHub, among others. Technologies from diverse domains such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, IT, IoT, agritech, nanotechnology and environmental science will be on display.

CR Suri, chairperson, DST-TEC, said the exhibition will also feature short stage sessions where industry experts can highlight their real-time challenges for research institutions to address through innovation.

“On the sidelines of the exhibition, five-minute slots will be offered to industry representatives to articulate issues or pain points needing R&D intervention. Through this, we expect to generate paid industrial consultancy projects for academic institutions,” he said.

Jayamurugan Govindasamy from INST Mohali said, “We are delighted to showcase a range of cutting-edge nanotechnology-based innovations developed by scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology. This exhibition offers an excellent platform to engage with industry and academia and translate our research into impactful real-world applications.”

Dr Manuj Tripathi from CSIR–IMTech also expressed excitement at participating in the exhibition, saying, “It offers another opportunity to showcase our scientific prowess in microbial-based technologies and services designed to meet unmet needs of society and industry. Our scientists and researchers look forward to engaging with participants during the four-day event.”

The ToT exhibition will serve as a bridge between research and real-world application, enabling collaborations that could lead to new patents, consultancy projects, and startup ventures.