CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) campus on Saturday turned into a live laboratory of student engineering as cutting-edge prototypes, ranging from a hyperloop transport pod and solar-powered race car to autonomous maritime platforms, were showcased at Delta Expo 2026, the institute's flagship innovation and startup exhibition.
The two-day event, organised by the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, brought together over 45 student innovation teams from the Centre for Innovation (CFI) and more than 30 early-stage startups from the Nirmaan pre-incubation programme, highlighting technologies that could evolve into the next-generation deep-tech ventures.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated the expo in the presence of IIT-M Director V Kamakoti and faculty members.
Among the most prominent exhibits was the Avishkar Hyperloop pod, a sleek prototype designed for ultra-high-speed travel inside near-vacuum tubes.
The student team said the pod integrates lightweight structural design, advanced aerodynamics and high-precision control systems to enable high-speed transit with minimal energy consumption.
"Our objective is to build a scalable hyperloop system that could transform long-distance mobility by dramatically reducing travel time between cities," a member of the Avishkar Hyperloop team told DT Next.
The team recently achieved first place in Asia and fourth place globally at the European Hyperloop Week, placing IIT-M among leading global hyperloop research groups.
Another major attraction was the Agnirath solar race car, engineered by students to compete in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, a 3,000-km endurance race for solar-powered vehicles.
Designed with high-efficiency solar panels, lightweight composite structures and advanced energy management systems, the vehicle is capable of travelling long distances powered entirely by sunlight.
"Our focus is on extracting maximum efficiency from solar energy through aerodynamic design, lightweight engineering and intelligent power management," a member of Team Agnirath said.
Students also presented autonomous maritime platforms designed for operations across surface and underwater environments.
"Autonomous maritime platforms can significantly reduce human risk while enabling long-duration monitoring missions in challenging marine environments," a student developer associated with the project said.
The expo also featured a Formula-style electric race car developed by IIT-M students for the Formula Bharat competition. Built with a lightweight chassis, high-performance electric drivetrain and telemetry systems, the vehicle reflects the institute's student-led engineering capabilities in motorsport technologies.
Director Kamakoti noted, "I am extremely pleased to see the rapid growth of the Centre for Innovation and Nirmaan. Our goal is to incubate at least 100 deep-tech startups every year."