6/19/2021 IITB Alumni Newsletter - June 2021

June  2021
Dear Alumna/Alumnus,
 
Warm greetings of the month of June from IITBAA and IITBHF.
 
Here are some news and announcements from the global IIT Bombay alumni community.

Volunteer of the Month

Himanshu Verma (B.Tech. '98 Engineering Physics H8) from the IITBHF
Washington DC Chapter has been chosen as the Volunteer of the
Month for his outstanding contributions to the IIT Bombay alumni
community. Read on.  To view all past volunteers from IITBHF and
IITBAA, click here.

Announcements
IITBHF Silver Jubilee Celebrations 
In July 1996 IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation was established. HF is proud to kick-off its Silver
Jubilee celebrations with a virtual session on Sunday, July 18th at 9 PM ET, 6 PM PT and 6:30
AM IST; which will include thoughts, insights and reflections of HF leaders/past Director(s); a
short presentation on HF’s achievements over the last 25 years and IITB Director’s presentation
on what IIT Bombay needs to do, with alumni support, to continue to be #1 over the next 10
years. Please go to here for event registration details, details on speakers for July 18th event and
future events. All IITB alumni, please join the celebrations. 
 
IITBAA Chapter Elections 2021 Results
Thank you to all alumni who participated in the IITBAA Chapter Elections this year for Executive
Committee positions for Chapters in India and the rest of the world excluding North America.
We received more nominations than positions in three Chapters, resulting in elections in three

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Chapters: Bengaluru, Mumbai and Japan. Check out the elected members of Executive
Committees of all the Chapters at this link.
 
IITBAA HealthCare SIG Virtual Conference
The IITBAA HealthCare SIG will organize a half day virtual conference, on September 11, 2021,
HealthCare 3.0 – Reimagining HealthCare through the Pandemic Lens. The event will focus on
relevant areas like Vaccines, Pharma, Diagnostics, HealthCare Delivery, Med Tech, Nutrition, etc.
to discuss and debate the direction in which we believe HealthCare is headed in the next decade.
Participants will be prominent stakeholders from Industry, Academia, Government, Investors,
and Insurance who will join us with an aim to provide a direction and a new way of working in
HealthCare to provide better outcomes and decision making in the future. Click here to read the
theme note. Please write to us for sponsorship/exhibitor opportunities.
 
COVID-19 Assistance Fund by Alumni for the IITB Family
IITBAA thanks our alumni who have generously donated approx. INR 21 Lakhs towards
providing financial assistance for COVID-19 treatment for members of the extended IITB family
in response to our appeal last month. So far, we have assisted four cases with INR 10 Lakhs. We
are also happy to share that one of the assisted alumni informed us about the homecoming of his
father after full recovery. IITBAA wishes speedy recovery to those still battling it out, and
prayers for strength and hope to the families of those who could not make it. We are grateful for
the continued support from our alumni to help many more families in their times of need.
 
H5 Enhancement Project
We are happy to share further updates on the H5 Enhancement Project, which will improve
living conditions in the hostel by adding common study rooms and toilet facilities to H5. A
Request for Proposal for the planned project was issued. Based on responses, the project has
been awarded to SMC Infrastructures. In parallel, BMC permission has been sought and we are
expecting to receive the Commencement Certificate in a few days. A ground-breaking ceremony
for the project is being planned for the week of June 21, 2021.
 
Call for Nominations – 'Distinguished Service Awards' and 'Chapter Service Awards' 2021
IIT Bombay presents the 'Distinguished Service Awards' (DSA) every year during the Alumni Day
celebrations in December to IITB alumni who have contributed in a very notable and sustained
manner to the progress of the Institute. From the year 2018 the Institute has also started
'Chapter Service Awards' (CSA) to recognize alumni who have contributed in a very notable and
sustained manner to the progress of their respective Chapters. You may submit your
nominations for DSA and CSA for the year 2021 at this link. The last date for receiving DSA &
CSA nominations is June 25, 2021.
 
Talk Brainy to Me: A Video Interview Podcast
"Talk Brainy to Me" is an exciting new video interview podcast at IIT Bombay hosted by the
Interdisciplinary Programme in Educational Technology! Each episode of this podcast features
prominent guests with different expertise (e.g., artists, philanthropists, athletes, entrepreneurs)
who explore diverse connections between topics impacting science, education, and technology.
Our first episode explored connections between music, education, technology, and neuroscience
with Mr. Mahesh Kale, a renowned Indian classical vocalist! Tune into the full conversation here. 
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Welcome Class of 2020
Your login credentials for the alumni web portal were sent to you on April 22, 2021. Please claim
your new @iitbombay.org account ASAP and set your preferred email forwarding.

Upcoming  Reunions

SJRU of Class of '96

The Class of '96 marches on with the planning efforts for its SJRU from December 24-26. May
was a busy month marked with volunteer calls, digital reunion, class logo design iterations and
generally increasing volume of cack sessions on the Signal group. The highlight of the month was
the digital reunion on June 5. Half a dozen batchmates, who have pursued entrepreneurship
careers, shared their experiences and gave a glimpse into their world. The speakers were
passionate, reflective, emotional, and full of inspiration in narrating their stories to a riveted
audience of their fellow classmates. Reunion RSVPs are growing at a steady clip. Any help in
tracing more of the '96 Masters and Ph.D. graduates would be much appreciated. If you want to
join the next monthly Zoom call to mingle with your batchmates, reach out to
<sjru96@iitbombay.org>.
 
SJRU of Class of '95
Some of you have already registered for the on-campus reunion of C'95 from December 26-28.
Those C'95 alumni who are yet to register may do so at this link. Paid on-campus accommodation
will be available at the Institute Guest House on a first-come first-serve basis; please mention so
while registering. For those who wish to stay off the campus, you may want to book rooms online
at one of the nearby hotels.
 
GJRU of Class of '70
The Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Class of 1970 is being planned between January 7-8,
2022 at the campus. This was postponed from January 2021, due to COVID-19. The class has a
well-established Reunion Organising Committee (ROC), which is meeting regularly to plan all
the details in close coordination with IITBAA. In view of the continued challenges COVID-19 is
posing, final call will be taken only after a couple of months. The Yearbook team has kick-started
the initial activities. Accommodation has been block booked at the Guest house. Once the final
call is taken, registration will commence. Meanwhile Save the Date. 

Upcoming  Events

Boston Chapter Annual Picnic

The Boston Chapter (with IIT  AGNE) plans to hold its annual picnic on July 24, 2021 at Nara
Park in Acton.  Read more here.
 
Chicago Chapter 3rd Wednesday Social Hour

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Please join us over Zoom for the 3rd Wednesday Virtual meet up on July 21, 2021, 7 - 8 pm CT. 
Please use this link to join.
 
Michigan Chapter 3rd Saturday Speed Talks and Social Hour
Please join us virtually for our regularly scheduled 3rd Saturday lunch on June 19, 2021. Time:
12 - 1:30 pm ET, or whenever the "hostel lounges" close.  You will be sent a Zoom link for
registration if you contact Shamrao Kattimani.
 
Greater New York Chapter Summer Picnic
The Greater New York Chapter will be holding its summer picnic on Saturday, August 7, 2021
at Duke Island Park, Bridgewater NJ.  
 
Greater New York Chapter Social Event
Please join us for this social event on September 26, 2021 at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ.
Watch this space for more details.
 
IITB Mountaineering Nostalgia: Himankan '81
Encouraged by the overwhelming response to our first virtual event on Himankan '81 on May
23, we have now lined up more such monthly events every fourth Sunday till April 2022,
covering a few mountaineering expeditions and activities undertaken by the club in the 1970s
& 80s. Our next event will be a Zoom webinar on "Rock Climbing at IITB in the past 50 years"
on June 27 (Sunday) at 11:30 am Eastern Time (US)/9 pm IST. Please register for this event.

Past  Events

Chicago Chapter Monthly Meet Up

The Chicago Chapter met on May 19 and June 16, 2021 for its monthly "3rd Wednesday"
Social Hour. 
 
Michigan Chapter 3rd Saturday Lunch and Chat Over Zoom
On May 15, 2021 Michigan Chapter continued its monthly lunch hours even through the
shelter-in-place phase of COVID-19. The lunch hours just happened to be on Zoom these days.
 
Stress Management - An Inter Chapter Collaborative Event
As part of the Buddy Chapter Initiative, Bengaluru and Kolkata Chapters organized a session
on "Effectiveness of Music Therapy for Stress Management" with Dr Chandrima Banerjee, a
highly reputed counselling specialist with over 25 years of expertise. This virtual event was
held on the evening of May 23 and was open to alumni communities across all our Chapters.
Click here to read more.
 
Helping the Effort Against COVID-19 in India - IIT AGNE
IIT AGNE is working on supporting the stacking of a mobile oxygen generating plant, from a
design through IIT Bombay. Additionally, Pan IIT USA has launched a major effort to send
oxygen concentrators to India, working through the Wheels Foundation. This is part of a wider

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initiative called "United Against COVID" being launched by all IIT alumni, which had an event
on May 15.  Read more here.
 
Assistive Technologies for Vision Impaired People: Talk by Prof. M. Balakrishnan, IIT Delhi -IIT
AGNE
On March 20, 2021, IIT AGNE and Vision Aid hosted a talk by Prof. M. Balakrishnan, IIT Delhi
on the work done by the students and faculty working at ASSITECH on developing innovative
new technologies for vision impaired people. The technologies developed include a successful
smart cane system with tens of thousands of users across multiple countries, 3D Printed tactile
graphics for books, dynamic refreshable books with shape memory alloys, mobile assistant
using artificial intelligence and indoor navigation using path planning approaches. Prof.
Balakrishnan described the challenges inherent in designing for the vision impaired, which are
being overcome by the dedicated and capable group at ASSITECH.
 
Bengaluru Chapter Event
Bengaluru Chapter’s Startups Track organised "New Challenges and Opportunities for Early
Stage Edtech Startups in India" on April 18. The virtual event was designed as a panel
discussion with early stage startup founders in the Edtech Tech domain. The event received
170+ registrations and 75 participants attended the event live on Zoom. Click here to read the
detailed event report and to view the event recording.
 
Chennai Chapter Event
Chennai Chapter organised an online talk on "Entrepreneurship in After-School Education" on
May 16. Dinesh Victor (B.Tech. '92 ChemE), Founder and Managing Director of the SIP
Academy, was the Keynote Speaker. Click here to read more.
 
Kolkata Chapter Event
Kolkata Chapter celebrated World Environment Day on June 5 by organising a series of
competitive events for school children —  painting, recitation, and a story writing contest. The
event was open to alumni families across all Chapters of IITBAA. There were e-certificates for
all participants and exciting prizes for the winners. Click here to read more. 
 
Japan Chapter Event
Japan Chapter held a meeting of nominees to the Japan EC Committee prior to the IITBAA
Chapter Elections 2021 on May 22 for Chapter members to get to know the nominees. Click
here to read the full report.
 
Online Panel Discussion Series by IIT ChemE
"Changing Role of Chemical Engineers" is a series of online panel discussions organized by the
alumni of IIT Bombay Chemical Engineering, in collaboration with the department. The series
will explore the current trends and future directions of important science and technology-
driven industries. The first panel discussion held on May 29 featured eminent experts from the
healthcare and life sciences industry. Click here for full report and video of the panel
discussion.

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Alumni in the News

Dr. Vinay K Nandicoori (M.Sc. '91 Biotech. H6) is the new Director of the CSIR-Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.  Read more here.

Obituaries

We lost several of our alumni during the second wave of pandemic in India. Here are their names
listed alphabetically: Anurag Wahi (B.Tech. '94 CSE H4), Chhaya Dixit (Ph.D. '87 Chemistry H10),
Dinesh Mohan (B.Tech. '67 ME H6), Kesav Vithal Nori (B.Tech. '67 EE H5), Milind Wakdikar
(B.Tech. '87 CivE H4), Prerana Rane (Ph.D. '92 CSE H10), Sanjay Shamkuwar (B.Tech. '90 CivE),
Vipin Joshi (B.Tech. '68 ChE H3) and Yograj Patel (DD '13 ME H8). Our deepest condolences to
friends and families of the deceased for their loss.  Read more here.

Claim Your @iitbombay.org  Gmail Account

 
Legacy @iitbombay.org server has been shut down on November 30, 2018. Please claim your
new @iitbombay.org account ASAP. 
 
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up your new gmail account and your preferred email forwarding.

Publications

Fundamatics:  The Alumni Magazine of IIT Bombay

Insight: Newsletter by Student Media Body of IIT Bombay
SARC: Student Alumni Relations Cell of IIT Bombay

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