Latest news with #IIT
Entrepreneur
6 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Inside IvyCap's Tech Playbook
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. A homegrown venture capital firm, and at the helm of it, founder and managing partner, Vikram Gupta, whose tech-focused investment thesis is making careful bets in artificial intelligence (AI), healthtech, and other deep tech sectors. The firm's origin is unique: a venture capital fund backed by Indian institutional money and a strong IIT alumni trust. Through this, IvyCap is scaling up capital, with the idea to invest in very early-stage startups. "And these new age technologies, which are in very early stages in their TRL (technology readiness level) 1, 2, 3 stages, to helping them build a very unique kind of technology stacks. And we've been quite fortunate to have made a lot of room and a lot of progress there," says Gupta. Vikram says the idea is to help provide grants to such disruptive technologies. The firm is going into the deep pockets of all the IITs, IIMs, ISB, Indian Institute of Science, and others, leveraging these technologies and helping build centers of excellence. "That's how we can spot these technologies early on and even fund them for commercialization or even scale up." The VC firm sees huge opportunities across deep tech, emerging tech areas. According to Gupta, there are quite a few examples of disruptions, for example, AI being an overarching theme has multiple areas, including vertical AI, horizontal AI, and infrastructure AI. "Vertical AI is catering to sectors such as financial services, health care, or insurance. That is a unique opportunity building up. Horizontal AI, on the other hand, is building a lot of agentic AI tools and other AI disruptive technologies, which are catering to various models. And the infrastructure AI is working towards creating a lot of hardware support systems, like semiconductors, and setting up data centers and other things, which support the AI processing. So we are investing across all three areas," says Gupta. Gupta also adds that the firm is looking at opportunities across areas such as space tech, defence tech, IoT devices, and other similar hardware technologies. "In addition, there are opportunities in blockchain and other areas as well. So we are going deeper in each of these areas through our collaborations with the IoTs and identifying specific talent across each of these verticals and horizontals." Gupta believes that India is sitting at a very unique place to leverage these areas, and a lot of talent is now getting involved. "And with our funding and a lot of grant capital that we are building as a large pool of capital are likely to build this further." However, it is not easy to catch these technology trends early on, with the firm looking at people involved in solving specific problems. "We look for the passion they have in driving these technologies." "We also look at the specific business models being targeted and the understanding of the commercial side in terms of the problem getting solved. And I think some of these ideas are very disruptive. So when they're very disruptive, the risk is also very high." Sometimes, these bets could become capital-intensive over a period of time, with the firm having to look at various factors. "But if you were to break it down across different buckets, so one bucket is the bucket of the entrepreneur and the team, which is looking at their backgrounds. The second bucket is the business model, geographical spread, etc. There are all those kinds of things that we evaluate from a business model perspective. And the third piece is about the scale potential in terms of how large this can be," says Gupta. Factsheet: Corpus size: INR 5,000 crore Portfolio: 55 Companies Dragon Exits: Purplle at INR 330 Cr
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Meet ‘Panchayat' star Jitendra Kumar: Left IIT for acting, now charges Rs 70,000 per episode, owns luxury cars and has a net worth of Rs 7 crore
Jitendra Kumar , who is loved for his performance in the OTT series 'Panchayat', has an inspiring story that proves following one's heart truly pays off. Born in a small village in Rajasthan, Jitendra always dreamt big. Even as a child, he loved mimicking stars like Shah Rukh Khan , Nana Patekar, and Amitabh Bachchan . But life initially pushed him on a very different path. Jitendra's father, wanting a secure future for his son, sent him to Kota to prepare for the IIT entrance exams. With hard work and focus, Jitendra cracked the tough JEE exam and secured admission for Civil Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. It seemed like the beginning of a stable, successful engineering career. The IITian who chose acting over engineering During his time at IIT, the 'Kota Factory' actor discovered his real passion—acting. He joined the 'Hindi Technology Dramatic Society' at IIT Kharagpur, where he explored theatre and stage performances. It was here that he met Biswapati Sarkar, who would later become the creative director at TVF. This chance meeting changed the course of Jitendra's life. After graduating, the 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan' actor still took up a well-paying job at an MNC, following the usual route for an IITian. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Accounting Automation Software Might Help You To Earn More Accounting Automation Software | Search ads Undo However, it didn't take him long to realise that his true calling lay elsewhere. Despite the security of a high-paying engineering job, he decided to take the risk, quit his corporate life, and fully pursue acting. The show that changed everything Jitendra first gained massive popularity with 'Pitchers'. This series gave him recognition and opened the door to many more opportunities. After that, he was seen in popular shows like 'Kota Factory', where he perfectly portrayed the character of Jeetu Bhaiya, winning hearts all over the country. His biggest success, however, came with 'Panchayat'. This simple yet heartwarming series about rural India struck a chord with audiences. Jitendra's performance as Abhishek Tripathi, the engineering graduate reluctantly working as a panchayat secretary in Phulera, made him a household name. According to reports from Business Standard, Jitendra earned Rs 5.6 lakh for the entire third season of 'Panchayat'. He is the highest-paid actor on the show, taking home Rs 70,000 per episode. His net worth and stunning car collection All of Jitendra's hard work and risks have brought him not just fame but also impressive financial success. As per reports by Zee News and ABP Live, Jitendra Kumar's estimated net worth is around Rs 7 crore. His taste for luxury is clear from his car collection, which is just as dazzling as his career. According to the Financial Express, his garage includes, Mercedes Benz GLS 350D worth Rs 88.18 lakh, a Mercedes Benz E-Class worth Rs 82.10 lakh, Toyota Fortuner worth Rs 48.43 lakh and Mini Countryman worth Rs 42 lakh When you look at Jitendra's journey, it's clear that sometimes taking a risk and following your heart leads to the most rewarding outcome. And today, with his success in shows like 'Panchayat', his rising net worth, luxury cars, and millions of fans, it is evident he made the right choice.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
IIT-Bombay trespasser may have stayed on Powai campus last year too, suspect Mumbai police
Mumbai: Police and security agencies investigating the motives behind the illegal stay of a Mangaluru youth, son of a garment dealer, within the IIT Powai campus from May 29 to June 17, were puzzled by how he accessed the campus twice during his 17-day presence without being detected by security. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Bilal Ahmed Teli, 22, attended ten lectures on artificial intelligence (AI) despite having only completed the tenth grade and holding a diploma in web designing. Initially, Powai police charged him with criminal trespass under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and served notice on June 19. However, the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai police registered a fresh FIR against Teli on June 24 and arrested him under sections for impersonation, cheating, forgery, criminal trespass, and the IT act. Investigators also discovered 22 email IDs created by Teli and are determining their purpose. They are verifying a tip-off that he gained entry to the campus last year and stayed for almost a month. The case was transferred to the CIU amid growing suspicions regarding Teli's intentions. Although Teli maintains he was merely "obsessed with having the IIT tag on his résumé," officials are investigating whether there is more to his elaborate infiltration. Police found several pictures and videos of the campus on his mobile, raising suspicions that he sent them to certain individuals. They have sent his mobile phone to extract its contents and the Internet Protocol of his mobile phone. Police have also informed his parents, who visited him on Thursday. During the probe, officials from Powai police and the CIU discovered Teli's entry in the guest entry book at the IIT gate at 9:39 am on May 29. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Teli made a total of three calls from his mobile on May 29 before he gained access through the main gate after his third call of one minute and 36 seconds to the control room helped him gain entry. To confirm the details, the team verified his claim of calling and found that it takes four minutes. However, there was an entry in the log book maintained by security at the gate, but the mobile number he provided was fake," said a police officer. Teli arrived in Mumbai from Surat on May 26 and attempted to access the campus on May 26 and 28 May before succeeding on May 29. He exited the campus on June 7 to travel to Surat to meet his cousin for Eid celebrations before returning on June 10 and re-entering the campus. "Although he did not disclose his method of entry, police determined his location through his call network and tracked his presence on campus since the afternoon of 10 June. He was apprehended by an IIT staff member when he was found in the lecture room. His presence went unnoticed until June 17, when Shilpa Kotikal from the Credit Department spotted him inside lecture hall LH-101. She had previously raised an alert on June 4 when he entered her office without permission and fled when questioned. Despite her complaint and the circulation of CCTV footage to campus security, Teli had slipped through the cracks," said the officer. Teli's phone and laptop have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to retrieve deleted data and trace communications. "We are trying to find out who he was in touch with and whether he was acting under someone else's instructions," said a senior officer. "His digital activity and movement across cities appear suspicious, especially for someone who claims he was only here to learn." The officer added that posing as a student, Teli attended lectures on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, slept in vacant hostel rooms and lounges, and freely roamed the high-security campus without any formal admission. The case is being examined by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) amid growing suspicions over Teli's intentions.
Hans India
a day ago
- Health
- Hans India
Indian researchers develop diagnostic device to detect early-stage bone cancer
New Delhi: In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers from IIT (BHU) in Uttar Pradesh have developed a miniaturised, self-reporting diagnostic device that can detect early-stage bone cancer with high precision. The first-of-its-kind sensor detects osteopontin (OPN) -- a key biomarker for bone cancer. The device is reagent-free, portable, and cost-effective and is ideal for rural healthcare, said the research team led by Dr. Pranjal Chandra from the School of Biochemical Engineering. The device works much like a glucose metre and enables quick, accurate, and on-the-spot detection, even in resource-limited settings. The device uses a custom sensor surface composed of gold and redox-active nanomaterials, allowing it to function similarly to a glucose meter. 'This technology simplifies cancer detection and empowers primary health centres,' said Prof. Chandra. The findings are published in the prestigious journal Nanoscale (Royal Society of Chemistry, UK). OPN is a crucial biomarker associated with osteosarcoma -- a highly aggressive form of bone cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents. While current methods to detect OPN are costly and time-consuming, the new device offers rapid and accurate results with minimal equipment. It is designed as a reagent-less immunosensor, which enables on-the-spot and affordable testing. It is especially beneficial in rural and resource-constrained areas where early cancer detection is often delayed. Cancer is a major public health concern in India, with rising incidence rates and significant mortality. Lauding the innovation, Director Prof. Amit Patra called it 'a prime example of technology with a human face'. He said it contributes to precision medicine and national health priorities. He added that the innovation aligns with the government's Make in India and Start-up India initiatives. A patent application has been filed, and efforts are underway to convert the prototype into a smartphone-compatible diagnostic kit for remote healthcare access, the researchers said.
Hans India
a day ago
- Health
- Hans India
IIT-BHU bioengineers develop nanoparticles to stop blood clotting
New Delhi: Biomedical engineers at the Indian Institute of Technology-BHU in Uttar Pradesh, have developed low-cost, and complex nanoparticles that can prevent clotting and act as an antidote to thrombotic disorders. The team focussed on the anticoagulation properties of potassium ferric oxalate nanoparticles (KFeOx-NPs) to develop the nanoparticles. Potassium is also known to be essential for the overall health of blood vessels and the heart. The nanoparticles were found to preserve human blood in a liquid state for 48 hours. The findings may be crucial for the safe collection and storage of blood for diagnosis and transfusion, said lead author Sudip Mukherjee, from the School of Biomedical Engineering at IIT (BHU). Using mice models, the team shows toxicity and biodistribution profiles and determines the safety and efficacy of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were found to prevent clot formation in blood vessels in live mice, as well as halt thrombosis in mice. The team explained that the nanoparticles developed using KFeOx-NPs work by binding to calcium ions in the blood. It prevents the formation of fibrin -- the main protein that helps form blood clots. 'Intravenously injected KFeOx-NPs increased clotting time and thrombosis prevention in a mouse model, confirmed by ultrasound and the power Doppler images,' the researchers said. 'Coating catheters with KFeOx-NPs prevents clot formation with reduced protein attachment when incubated with blood, enhancing blood flow properties,' they added. According to researchers, KFeOx-NPs may also be deployed in biological applications. They noted that it may help boost the long-term prevention of blood clot formation and enhance the efficiency of medical devices. Notably, the nanoparticles also get easily dissolved in water and do not accumulate in fat tissues. In nanoparticle-coated catheters, the blood flow was better and fewer proteins stuck to the surface.
