Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi Archives

Nitya Nand Gosvami

Dr. Nitya Nand Gosvami completed his BTech with honors in Metallurgical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University (IITBHU), India, in 2003 and completed his PhD at the National University of Singapore in 2008. In 2008, he joined the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (Saarbrücken, Germany) as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. In 2010, he joined University College London (London, United Kingdom) as a Research Associate, jointly working with the London Center for Nanotechnology. In 2012, he moved to the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Pennsylvania (United States) as a Research Project Manager. In 2016, he joined the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (New Delhi, India), where he works as an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Gosvami’s research is focused on the study of mechanical and tribological behavior of engineering materials, disordered systems, and bioinspired nanopatterned surfaces at the nanoscale, where his group is investigating fundamental mechanisms of friction and wear, lubrication, and tribochemical processes in sliding contacts at the liquid-solid interfaces.

As a Fulbright-Nehru scholar, Dr. Gosvami is aiming to develop atomic-scale insights into how nanoparticles, when incorporated into industrial lubricants, reduce friction and wear between sliding contacts of mechanical components, including internal combustion engine components, electric vehicle transmissions, and wind turbine bearings. The goal is to establish a scientific basis for developing next-generation environment-friendly and energy-efficient lubricant formulations, enabling the adoption of green technologies by addressing major reliability issues in electric vehicles and wind turbines.

Suddhasatwa Basu

Prof. Suddhasatwa Basu completed PhD in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) Chair Professor on Clean Energy at IIT Delhi. He was the Director of CSIR-Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar and the Director of Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Dhanbad. He has vast work experience on development of materials for energy conversion and storage devices – green H2 generation & fuel cell technologies and Na/Zn ion battery, electro-synthesis, and waste-to-wealth technologies for a circular economy. He has published more than 280 articles in high-impact journals with H-index 53, applied for 16 patents of which 10 were granted and transferred to technologies. He is a Fellow of National Academy of Science of India, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry UK. He has received many awards. He has been editor, associate editor and editorial board member of several international journals.

During the fellowship at Washington University in St Louis, Prof Basu is working on development of technology for conversion of biomass/stubble-derived chemicals to hydrogen and furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) using an electrolyzer. The simultaneous production of FDCA alongside hydrogen in an electrolyzer will not only help to establish hydrogen economy but disrupt the polymer industry by producing monomers of bioplastics. The electrolyzer stack development envisaged will be operated under ambient conditions, making it environment-friendly and less energy-intensive by utilizing electrical power from solar photovoltaic resources.

Anchal Sharma

Ms. Anchal Sharma is a Ph.D. candidate at IIT Delhi. Her research encompasses tactile perception of objects in the visually challenged. Drawn towards innovations exercising imagination, scientific thinking, and strong user empathy, she has mentored and participated in diverse social innovation projects and won two awards by IISc, Bangalore and IIT-Delhi with her team. She has led and been a speaker in events propagating innovation including those by AIM, NITI AYOG.

She completed her M.Des. in Industrial design (from SPA, New Delhi) and interned at GVIC, PepsiCo, India. She was acknowledged for her thesis work for integrating cultural spatial forms in a unique product using principles of light and shadows to educate children about unity. The project was sponsored by the Design Clinic Scheme by GoI and NID and was featured as a finalist in Toycathon 2021 and TISDC 2018. During her B.Arch. she emerged as a 2nd ranker both for her thesis work on ‘a school for experiential learning’ and overall 5-year academic performance.

In her Fulbright-Nehru project, she will analyse how to better convey three-dimensionality in two-dimensional tactile stimuli. Although layered and complex, she believes with continual deep-work and problem-solving acumen, this work can profoundly advance and contribute towards accessible STEM education for those without vision.

She believes in a multi-faceted growth and commends the perseverance sports can bring to life. She has played Throwball at National level and won silver medal (Badminton) at college level. Being perceptive towards life, she exercises self-expression through art, writing, and short videos.

Abhisek Sahoo

Abhisek Sahoo grew up close to nature, in the coastal city of Puri, Orissa. He believes in creating a safe and healthy ecosystem for all species. Innovations in the field of solid waste management eventually led him to work in the area of sustainable development during his tenure at the esteemed laboratories of the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun. Abhisek is currently working at IIT Delhi on the development of a process for the upgradation of bio-liquids via the thermo-catalytic route. Previously, he worked at University College London (UCL) as a Commonwealth fellow.

As a Fulbright-Kalam Climate fellow at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Abhisek is working on the thermo-catalytic conversion of waste biomass and plastic into aromatics and fuel-range hydrocarbons for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Employing green carbon-supported heterogeneous catalysts, his research aims to unlock the vast bioenergy potential inherent in waste substances. This breakthrough could pave the way for establishing biorefineries, supported by comprehensive techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessments.

Abhisek advocates for the idea that sustainability is our responsibility. His research endeavours reflect a dedication to addressing environmental challenges through innovative and practical solutions. His journey exemplifies the spirit of academic excellence and a deep commitment to the global pursuit of sustainable energy solutions. He is also interested in photography, traditional cuisines, and exploring historical sites.

Chiranjit Das

Chiranjit Das is a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, under the supervision of Prof. Ravi Kumar Kunchala. He is working on improving understanding of the current state of carbon dioxide exchange among biosphere-atmosphere-ocean and its spatiotemporal evolution using a wide variety of observation and state-of-the-art modelling methodologies. He has published various research articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented his work at national and international conferences and workshops.

Chiranjit has completed his master’s from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, and was an IASc-INSA-NASI summer research fellow at the Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. He has a bachelor’s in physics from Barasat Government College, West Bengal.

As a Fulbright-Kalam Climate fellow at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, Chiranjit is evaluating the role of fire in perturbing atmospheric carbon dioxide budget and its adverse effect on ecosystems across global tropics. The expected results from this study will improve carbon road map policy, ecosystem management, and emission mitigation strategy for stakeholders. Chiranjit hopes to go on treks in Pasadena while he is there. He enjoys playing badminton and volleyball, and is enthusiastic about exploring new places.

Nilotpal Majumder

Nilotpal Majumder is a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He is currently designing a biomimetic chemically modified silk fibroin gelatin bioink for 3D bioprinting of cartilage tissue. His doctoral thesis primarily focuses on modulating the associated chondrogenic signalling pathways using various small-molecule modulators to develop phenotypically stable articular cartilage grafts. He has publications in reputed journals like Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Healthcare Materials, and ACS Applied Material & Interfaces.

Nilotpal holds a BTech-MTech dual degree in biotechnology from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. He worked on a project funded by the government of India (BIRAC) as a project engineer to develop an automated electromagnetic wave-based tissue processing device.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at Tufts University, Medfor, MA, Nilotpal is exploring various external cues (microgravity, magnetism) to induce cellular assembly within the 3D bio-printed constructs. The main objective of his research will be to develop a 3D bio-printed macroscale organoid that can closely recapitulate the native human tissue microarchitecture and physiology. In his free time, he enjoys reading non-fiction, watching sci-fi movies and television series, and exploring historical places.

Souvik Chakraborty

Dr. Souvik Chakraborty is assistant professor at the Applied Mechanics Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He also holds a joint faculty position at the Yardi School of Artificial Intelligence. His research interest is at the intersection of scientific computing and machine learning, with a focus on developing scalable, interpretable, and trustworthy machine learning algorithms for solving scientific and engineering problems. He is a recipient of the prestigious INAE Young Engineers Award.

Dr. Chakraborty joined IIT Delhi in 2020. Prior to that, he spent two years at the University of Notre Dame. He also spent some time at the University of British Columbia as a postdoctoral researcher. He obtained his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.

During his Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence (Research and Teaching) fellowship, Dr. Chakraborty will do a combination of both research with teaching. He is developing novel algorithms and frameworks for seamless fusion of data and physics. It is expected that the developed algorithm will address challenges such as out-of-distribution generalization and interpretability and will be a step towards realizing the dream of digital twins for infrastructural systems. Dr. Chakraborty is also teaching a course on operator learning, with the goal of developing synergy between teaching and research.