Samsung R&D Institute, Noida (SRI-Noida), has strengthened its commitment to industry-academia collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay).

Under this MoU, SRI-Noida and IIT Bombay will explore breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), digital health, and other critical areas. The five-year partnership will facilitate joint research projects, providing IIT Bombay students and faculty an opportunity to collaborate with Samsung engineers.

This approach will not only open newer avenues for the students, but will enhance their industry readiness. In addition, it will equip Samsung engineers with specialized training and certification programmes from IIT Bombay in emerging technologies such as digital health and AI.

The MoU was formally signed by Kyungyun Roo, Managing Director of SRI-Noida, and Prof. Upendra V. Bhandarkar, Associate Dean of Research and Development at IIT Bombay. The event, which took place at IIT Bombay, was attended by faculty members from the Koita Centre for Digital Health (KCDH), including Prof. Ranjith Padinhateeri, Head of KCDH, Prof. Nirmal Punjabi and Dr. Raghavendran Lakshminarayanan.

“This collaboration represents a powerful blend of industry expertise and academic excellence, opening doors for pioneering research, innovation, and talent development. We look forward to working closely with IIT-B’s exceptional faculty and students to drive meaningful advancements and develop solutions that address real-world challenges in the field of Digital health, AI and other emerging technologies. Together, we aim to create an ecosystem of knowledge-sharing and innovation that benefits both our organization and society at large,” said Kyungyun Roo, Managing Director, SRI-Noida.

‘’Today marks an exciting milestone as we formalize our partnership with SRI-Noida. This MoU presents our shared commitment to innovation, knowledge exchange and pursuit of excellence. By working together, we are creating new pathways for students and faculty to engage with industry, advancing research opportunities and contributing to the growth of our communities,” said Prof. Upendra V. Bhandarkar, Associate Dean (R&D), IIT Bombay.

The MoU encourages the publication of joint research papers, promoting knowledge sharing that will drive technological progress and industry-aligned innovation. Through this partnership, Samsung and IIT Bombay are setting the foundation for a sustained exchange of expertise that will push the boundaries of next-generation technologies and inspire future breakthroughs.

The IIT Bombay alumnus was honoured by the Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind at the recently held Festival of Innovations (FOIN) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for his creation called ‘low cost vein detector’.

The device that Annamalai developed during his days at IIT Bombay helps medical practitioners locate the right vein in quick time and make a successful venipuncture.

The Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award recognizes student innovators in the fields of engineering, science, technology and design who come up with affordable solutions.

When he was at IIT Bombay, Annamalai was sent to a blood bank to identify real time problems for which we could come up with solutions.

“I noticed that some volunteers who wanted to donate blood were turned away because the nurses were unable to find the right vein to draw blood from. This was a loss for both the volunteer, who was keen on doing a social service, as well the blood bank, who could have add more blood to their repository,” he recalls.

The device that he designed as a solution to this problem works on NIR spectroscopy where infrared waves are absorbed differently by oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood in veins. This makes one appear darker than the other, helping the medical practitioner locate the veins easily.

The device is cost-effective, hygienic and easy to use, as compared to other solutions available in the market today.

“At SRI-B, we strongly believe that technological innovations driven by the youth which address a relevant need and create a mass impact will define the future. Trivikram and his project are the perfect embodiment of these beliefs and we are proud to say that he is a part of SRI-B,” said Mr. Dipesh Shah, Managing Director, Samsung R&D Institute – Bangalore.

To be at the Rashtrapati Bhavan was an overwhelming experience for Annamalai. He was allowed to set up a stall there to provide a demonstration of his solution to visitors.

“When the President visited our stall and understood the features of our product, he immediately called his personal physician and requested him to buy our product for the clinic within Rashtrapati Bhavan,” he said.

Annamalai is one of the 23 winners of the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards for 2018. Along with the award, the Government of India has given him a research grant of INR 15 lakh to optimize his product and make it more marketable.

The ‘low-cost vein detector’ had earlier bagged the Young Innovator Award from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra as well.