23 APR 2025 10:33AM by –Dr. Anubha Jain
The IISc Alumni Association (IIScAA) commemorated Women’s Day with a day-long conference that focused on the theme “Spectrum of Creativity: Gender, Culture, and Innovation”. The event brought together a diverse group of participants, including distinguished speakers, alumni, students, and invitees, to celebrate the achievements of women and discuss their impactful contributions to various fields.
The conference began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by an esteemed panel comprising Padma Vibhushan awardee and former Director of IISc, Dr. P. Balaram, Lt. Col. Rajaram, President of IIScAA, conference convenor Dr. Lipika Sahoo, and distinguished members of IIScAA, Dr. Premila Manohar and Dr. Akhila Jaikumar.
Lt. Col. Rajaram opened the event with a warm welcome address, acknowledging the contributions of speakers, attendees, and alumni in making the conference a vibrant platform for ideas and exchange. Dr. Lipika Sahoo followed with an insightful introduction to the conference theme, setting the stage for an enriching series of sessions.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Balaram, who spoke on the topic “Reflections on Landmark Contributions by Women in Science”. His address highlighted the remarkable achievements of women scientists, starting with global icons such as Madame Curie and progressing to notable Indian women scientists. Dr. Balaram’s engaging presentation, featuring rare archival photographs, offered valuable insights and left a lasting impact on both young and seasoned attendees.
Ignite Session: Stories of Inspiration
The first session, Ignite, showcased the journeys of three accomplished women speakers:
Dr. Sridevi Jade, Director of CSIR-4PI, Bengaluru, shared her multifaceted experiences in engineering, science, and research, reflecting on her growth across diverse career fields.
Prof. Rajalakshmi, Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering & Director, NMICPS TiHAN Foundation, IIT-H, presented her pioneering work on “Autonomous Navigation at TiHAN-IITH”, delivered technical insights and shared experiences virtually from Hyderabad.
Anjana Manian, CEO and Co-Founder of DIYA Research Inc., USA, spoke about her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges she faced in launching her ambitious project, and her commitment to creating new possibilities.
Unveiling of “Vibrations” Newsletter and Panel Discussion
The conference resumed with the launch of IIScAA’s quarterly newsletter, “Vibrations”, led by Dr. Balaram alongside Lt. Col. Rajaram and distinguished women dignitaries, who took the stage to flash the front page of the newsletter.
The release session was followed by a panel discussion on the theme “Can we? to…We can!”, The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Akhila Jaikumar, founder- Elbeem Pvt Ltd, & the member EC, IIScAA, while the panelists included Dr. Smita Jain, Director of Partnerships (India) at Cactus Communications; Mr. Navratan Katariya, Director of the Centre of Excellence for IoT & AI at NASSCOM; Dr. Arunakumari Garaga, Civil Offshore & Geotech Team Lead at ExxonMobil Services & Technology Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. Gautam Das, Co-Founder & CEO of miBiome Therapeutics; and two IISc students.
Trail Blazers and Global Outreach Sessions
The second session, Trail Blazers, featured inspiring talks by:
Dr. Manjiri Bakre, Founder and CEO of OncoStem Diagnostics, highlighted CanAssist-Breast, a test predicting recurrence risk in early-stage breast cancer patients, enabling “low-risk” individuals to avoid chemotherapy and supporting personalized cancer care.
· Dr. Aparna Oragunty, Co-founder and CEO of Jatayu Healthcare Technologies, shared her firm’s efforts in creating advanced AI and NLP-based tools for accurate transcription of spoken words into text, streamlining medical documentation and enabling healthcare providers to prioritize patient care.
Dr. Aparna Krishnan, Co-founder of Paalaguttapalle Bags, shared her inspiring journey of transitioning from a software engineer to a community leader in Paalaguttapalle, a drought-stricken village in Andhra Pradesh. Witnessing the challenges faced by rural women, she initiated a project to empower them by leveraging their tailoring skills to produce eco-friendly, customizable cloth bags.
Dr. Chandrashekar, the Chairman and Managing Director of Vipragen Biosciences Pvt. Ltd., shared his inspiring journey from modest beginnings in a small village to becoming a successful entrepreneur and leader in the biotech industry.
The third session, Global Outreach, brought perspectives from two notable alumni settled in the United States:
Dr. Murthy S. Gudipati, Senior Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, delivered an inspiring talk on “Pluralism – The Future of Human Civilization”. He emphasized the importance of embracing diversity and ending discrimination against those less fortunate, sharing insights from his humble journey to motivate others. Dr. Murthy’s philosophical and heartfelt speech encouraged young minds to pursue their aspirations with determination and offered guidance for building bright, meaningful careers.
Dr. Rita Khanna, President of International Technology Transfer Management Inc., USA, delivered an online talk on “International Technology Transfer: Ensuring Affordable Access to Vaccines in Developing Countries”, offering a reflection on past epidemics and public health challenges. She spoke about the two devastating epidemics of this century—tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19—and took the audience back to the days when countless lives were lost due to the lack of vaccines. Her talk underscored the critical importance of timely vaccine development and access.
The conference concluded with an award ceremony to honor the winners of the student poster competition, followed by the valedictory address by Dr. Pratap, Vice President of IIScAA.
Ravindra Nath, General Secretary, IIScAA, proposed the vote of thanks and presented mementos to the contributors. In the final segment, a Mentor Café session was arranged for the students of M. S. Ramaiah University to discuss themes such as work-life balance and entrepreneurship with the aluminis of IISc.
The day ended with impactful conversations and connections, marking a successful celebration of creativity and collaboration
