STARTUP ..Best on Campus DeTect Technologies Out
of Campus, Into the World
DeTect's ultrasonic sensor technology solves a key problem for
the oil and gas sector
Best on Campus
DeTect Technologies
Daniel David
The student won, but it was the master who received all the
praise. With four out of five contenders in the ET Startup Awards' `Best on
Campus' category directly linked to the Indian Institute of Technology ,
Madras, several jury members suggested that the institute be conferred a special
award.
DeTect Technologies, founded by IITMadras alumni Daniel Raj
David, Harikrishnan AS, Karthik R and Tarun Mishra along with professor
Krishnan Balasubramanian, was chosen as the best startup to have emerged from a
college campus. It shared the roof at IIT Madras' Incubation Cell with
HyperVerge, Maximl Labs and Planys Technologies, albeit in different years. The
fifth contender was Project Mudra, started by BITS Pilani alumni.
DeTect is using its key technologies a drone called Noctua for
inspections and an ultrasonic sensor called Gumps to cater to the energy
sector where inspection of pipelines and other large assets needs remote
monitoring and inspection for leaks. “DeTect is solving a huge problem with
innovative technology ,“ said Flipkart group chief executive Binny Bansal, who
was on the jury.Apart from the energy sector, DeTect's technologies are also
seeing adoption in the chemical, fertiliser, power and nuclear industries.
Starting with Reliance Industries, DeTect has expanded its client base to BPCL,
HPCL and Tata group, among others. The company has filed for patents in India
and the United States.
“We are ecstatic to have our work recognised,“ said David, the
CEO at the young company . “We are looking to explore the Indian (process industry)
market to the fullest, and also slowly expand internationally .“
Still based at IIT-Madras' Research Park, Detect Technologies
has mostly employed students of the premier engineering school and its R&D
team comprises mainly IIT alumni and students.“Much credit goes to Professor
Balasubramanian, who has not only backed DeTect but several other startups at
IIT,“ David said.
The professor of mechanical engineering, who is also in charge
of IIT-Madras' new centre for innovation and entrepreneurship, explained how
the institution has put in place a framework to take a business idea to the
execution stage.
“The ecosystem has several entities that play key roles,“
Balasubramanian said. “These include primarily the R&D laboratories and
centres of excellence as well as the faculty and research scholars in the 16
academic departments that generate the ideas and work on those for several
years before it becomes feasible to recognise the commercial potential of a
few. Once the ideas and the business plans have attained a state of maturity
and a startup has been initiated, the Incubation Cell at IIT-Madras provides
the necessary fostering.“
ET Jul 24 2017
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