CHENNAI: Sixty-four student teams from engineering colleges across southern India presented their project prototypes at the finale of innoWAH! 2025-26, held at IIT Madras on Saturday.
From visualising car interiors before customising them to a sensor-based system enabling a paralysis patient to operate a wheelchair, several AI- and technology-driven working models drew attention from visitors and evaluators.
The finalists were shortlisted from 272 teams across 62 institutions, following multiple rounds that included project submissions, mentoring sessions and regional-level evaluations. Of these, 216 teams advanced to cluster rounds, where working prototypes were assessed before selecting the final 64.
Projects were exhibited across categories such as healthcare, agriculture and environmental sustainability, core engineering and information technology, with several integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and automation components.
Among the winners, Velalar College of Engineering and Technology secured first place in both healthcare and IT categories. Jeppiaar Institute of Technology won in agriculture and environmental sustainability, while Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science topped the core engineering category.
Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder of Agnikul Cosmos, was the chief guest for the event and presented awards to the winners. In his address, he said, "Startups have a critical role to play by engaging with experienced professionals, and leveraging the robust policy support, mentorship, and funding ecosystem available in India. The focus must be on developing world-class solutions that redefine 'Made in India' as a symbol of innovation, quality, and global competitiveness."
The event is the culmination of a year-long programme that began with webinars, mentoring and pitching rounds conducted across cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Palakkad and Erode. The competition was organised by PALS, which works with partner engineering institutions to run training and innovation programmes aimed at improving industry readiness among students.