The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has transferred four technologies developed by faculty members at its K.K. Birla Goa Campus to industry partners, strengthening efforts to commercialise academic research and expand industry–academia collaboration.
The technology transfers, formalised through agreements facilitated by the institute’s Technology Transfer Office, the Foundation for Advisory Consultancy and Technology Transfers (FACTT), involve three faculty innovators and four industry licensees.
The technologies cover sustainable materials, value-added products from biomass waste, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chemical structure recognition and water-quality monitoring for aquaculture.
Sustainable materials and biomass waste utilisation
Prof. Saurabh Patankar has developed two technologies aimed at expanding the industrial applications of materials and biomass waste.
A process for synthesising nanocellulose composites and their applications has been transferred to Reliable Chemical Pvt. Ltd. Nanocellulose-based materials have potential applications across industries seeking advanced materials with improved performance and sustainability characteristics.
A second technology developed by Prof. Patankar, involving the synthesis of nonporous silica, carbon black and alkali metal salt from biomass ash, has been transferred to GreenShift Energy Pvt. Ltd. The process offers a pathway to convert biomass waste into potentially valuable industrial materials.
These technologies could help businesses explore new material applications while supporting more resource-efficient production processes.
AI platform targets chemistry workflows
The third technology, developed by Prof. Subhadeep Banerjee, is an Optical Chemical Structure Recognition (OCSR) platform designed to streamline downstream chemistry workflows.
Transferred to Fluoresight Bioprobes Pvt. Ltd., the AI-assisted software can recognise, correct, edit and reuse organic chemical structures from printed or hand-drawn images and chemical reaction schemes.
The platform is designed to simplify the conversion of chemical structures into reusable digital information, potentially reducing manual effort in chemistry-related research and data processing.
Aquaculture technologies target fish farmers
The fourth technology transfer covers a set of aquaculture water-monitoring solutions developed by Prof. Sumit Biswas and transferred to Piscaid Pvt. Ltd.
The technologies comprise a floating device equipped with sensors to monitor water parameters, a system and device for assessing water quality in carp culture, and a portable container for transferring fish seedlings.
The solutions are aimed at improving water-quality monitoring and supporting fish-farming operations through more accessible, data-driven tools.
Focus on commercialisation of research
BITS Pilani K.K. Birla Goa Campus, Director, Prof. Suman Kundu, said the institute was committed to developing intellectual property aligned with industry requirements and market opportunities.
“BITS Pilani is focused on developing valuable intellectual property aligned with industry needs and market opportunities, while fostering collaborations that bridge the gap between academic innovation and commercial application,” he said.
He added that these initiatives aligned with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and contributed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
BITS Pilani, Coordinator of IPEC and BITS-TEC, Prof. Atish Paul, emphasised that technology transfer involved more than protecting intellectual property. It required identifying industry needs, engaging appropriate partners and creating pathways to convert research outcomes into market-ready products and solutions.
Reliable Chemicals founder Lionel C. Pereira highlighted the importance of industry–academia partnerships in helping MSMEs access emerging technologies, explore new markets and improve competitiveness.
GreenShift Energy Solutions founder Kunal Godambe said the institute’s technology-transfer initiatives enabled companies to access promising innovations, accelerate adoption and develop sustainable energy solutions.
The four transfers illustrate how faculty research can address practical industrial requirements, from converting waste into value-added materials to digitising chemical information and improving aquaculture management. They also highlight the role of technology licensing in connecting Indian research institutions with companies seeking to commercialise domestically developed innovations.