Nine research scholars from the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Pune, have received recognition at the Falling Walls Lab competition held at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, on 2 September 2026. Among them, Kshitija Vaidya secured joint third position for research on bioadhesives for bone healing, highlighting a potential healthcare application emerging from materials science research.
The scholars, pursuing PhDs under the guidance of Prof. K. Balasubramanian, Dean (Academic) and Professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, presented research concepts addressing challenges across environmental remediation, healthcare, sustainable materials, advanced manufacturing and clean energy.
Shruti Gupta secured second position for her research on high-pressure hydrogen storage, while Sayali Dondge jointly secured third position for her presentation on recoverable hydrogen. Vaidya’s work on bioadhesives for bone healing was also recognised among the leading presentations.
The Falling Walls Lab, organised by the Falling Walls Foundation, Berlin, provides a platform for researchers and innovators to present scientific breakthroughs and ideas addressing global challenges. The 2026 competition in India received 287 applications, of which 112 were shortlisted for presentations. Globally, the competition attracted approximately 2,900 applications from more than 80 participating labs.
The recognition places DIAT researchers alongside participants from leading Indian institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
In the healthcare sector, research into bioadhesives for bone healing is an area of interest in materials science, with potential relevance to developing materials for medical and orthopaedic applications. Further research and validation would be required to establish the technology’s clinical applicability.
Winners of the respective Falling Walls Lab competitions will proceed to the Global Finale, scheduled for 6 November 2026 at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany.
