Projects

School: School of Advanced Engineering

Funding Agency: Department of Science & Technology – DST 

Objective: The project aims to enhance the fail-safe and efficient operation of Battery Management Systems (BMS) under fast charging and discharging conditions with improved thermal management. It addresses the critical challenge of accurately estimating the State of Charge (SOC) and State of Health (SOH) of battery packs. Additionally, the project focuses on developing a compact, indigenous Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for BMS applications aligned with the Indian e-mobility ecosystem under the Make in India initiative. It also seeks to provide R&D support and consultancy for related projects. 

Key Highlights:

• Installation of System RBT 32022 Battery Testing Unit (BTU) at UPES with dual-channel 50 kW regenerative capability.
• Supports testing of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries across 8V–200V range and up to 300A.
• Regenerative system returns unused energy to the grid for enhanced efficiency.
• CAN Bus integration enables seamless communication with BMS, custom report generation, and precise control.
• Advanced testing features enable customised simulations of charging/discharging cycles and performance monitoring. 

Application and Impact: The DST-FIST sponsored lab at UPES is actively utilising this advanced testing system for projects that address critical gaps in BMS design and performance. Outcomes include better thermal regulation, enhanced accuracy in SOC and SOH estimation, and development of Make in India-compliant PCBs for Indian e-mobility needs. The system supports ongoing research, fosters innovation in battery technologies, and enables UPES to offer consultancy and R&D solutions to industries and institutions working in the electric mobility and energy storage domains. 

School: School of Advanced Engineering

Funding Agency: Department of Science & Technology – DST 

Objective:
The project aims to establish a dedicated center for "Designing Intelligent Materials for Advanced and Sustainable Applications" at UPES, focusing on interdisciplinary research in organocatalysis, drug design and development, smart materials, and waste-to-wealth technologies. The initiative seeks to strengthen scientific research, drive innovation in sustainable chemistry, and support the development of advanced materials with real-world industrial relevance. 

Key Highlights:

• Secured a Rs. 2 crore grant under the DST FIST scheme.
• Procurement of a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Machine to enhance analytical capabilities.
• Facility to support interdisciplinary research in chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutical sciences. 

Application and Impact: The establishment of the NMR facility will significantly benefit chemical and pharmaceutical industries across Uttarakhand and neighboring states by enabling advanced molecular structure analysis and research. It will accelerate innovations in drug discovery, organocatalysis, and sustainable material development. By strengthening UPES’s research infrastructure, the center will foster capacity-building, enhance researcher skillsets, and contribute to a highly competent regional workforce. Ultimately, the project will drive industrial R&D, promote academic-industry collaborations, and position UPES as a leading hub for advanced chemical and materials research. 

School: School of Health Sciences and Technology

Funding Agency: Indian Council of Medical Research

Researcher Name:  
Dr. Arun Kumar, Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and Research Centre, Patna, Bihar
Dr. Dhruv Kumar, UPES

Funding Agency: Indian Council of Medical Research

Objective: This project aims to assess the health impact of heavy metals—arsenic, lead, and mercury—on women and children in the Gangetic plain. It includes testing biological samples (blood, hair, nails, breast milk), evaluating reproductive hormones in women, and assessing neurotoxicity in children. The study also involves genomic analysis to identify health markers and uses Arc-GIS mapping for spatial assessment of contamination.

Key Highlights:  

• First regional study on arsenic-related health issues in the Gangetic plain.
• Focus on women's reproductive health and hormonal impact.
• Assessment of child neurotoxicity through mental health and enzyme analysis.
• Novel breast milk analysis for heavy metal presence.
• Comprehensive data generation to guide health interventions.
• Support for strategic public health measures in affected areas.

Application and Impact: This project represents a pioneering effort to understand and address the health crisis caused by arsenic contamination in the Gangetic plain, with a specific focus on Bihar. By evaluating reproductive and mental health in women and children, and detecting heavy metals in breast milk for the first time in this region, the study fills critical knowledge gaps. The comprehensive data generated will serve as a foundation for strategic control measures and public health interventions. Ultimately, this research will inform policy, enhance health outcomes, and contribute significantly to improving the safety and well-being of vulnerable populations affected by heavy metal exposure.

School: School of Advanced Engineering

Researcher Name: Dr. Prasanta Mandal, UPES 

Funding Agency: Science and Engineering Research Board-SERB

Objective: The project aims to develop a novel dual-beam pump-probe near-field Raman methodology for ultra-sensitive Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) detection. It involves the design, simulation, and fabrication of cost-effective hybrid plasmonic metasurfaces using soft or interference lithography. The separate excitation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) using a dedicated pump beam is central to enhancing localised plasmonic near-fields, enabling more efficient Raman signal amplification. A key scientific goal is to understand the physical origin of SERS enhancement due to these near-fields and apply the technology in fields like food safety, healthcare, and forensic science.

Key Highlights:

• Development of dual-beam pump-probe Raman technique for near-field excitation and enhanced SERS detection.
• Fabrication of cost-effective hybrid plasmonic metasurfaces using soft/interference lithography.
• Focus on ultrasensitive SERS for applications in food and health safety.
• Novel approach avoids reliance on high laser power by decoupling SPR excitation from signal measurement.
• Platform aims to support low-cost and high-efficiency Raman probing.

Application and Impact: The project has significant implications for advanced molecular sensing technologies. The dual-beam pump-probe Raman setup, combined with hybrid plasmonic metasurfaces, can lead to highly sensitive, low-cost, and field-deployable SERS platforms. These can be used across diverse sectors including food safety, forensic analysis, defence, medical diagnostics, and biological research. By addressing the challenge of inefficient single-beam SERS systems, this work may pave the way for new innovations in Raman spectroscopy and yield high-impact scientific outputs such as publications and patents.

School: School of Advanced Engineering

Researcher Name: 
Dr. Sarathlal KV, UPES
Dr. Ajay Gupta, UPES

Funding Agency: Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO

Objectives: 
This project aims to explore and optimise polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) by enhancing their electrical conductivity while maintaining flexibility and stretchability. The study focuses on integrating carbon-based nanofillers into elastomer matrices and subjecting the PNCs to mechanical deformation and thermal conditions. Through real-time, non-destructive structural analysis using synchrotron-based SAXS and USAXS techniques, combined with conductivity and stress-strain measurements, the project seeks to establish a direct correlation between the internal structure and functional properties of these materials. The ultimate goal is to enable the development of next-generation flexible sensing technologies for applications in health monitoring, intelligent systems, and soft robotics.

Key Highlights:

• Development of cost-effective and efficient methods for preparing flexible, conductive polymer nanocomposites.
• Fabrication of an in-house high-precision polymer stretching device compatible with synchrotron beamlines.
• Use of synchrotron-based SAXS and USAXS techniques for real-time, non-destructive structural and transport studies.
• Collaboration with international and national synchrotron facilities (DESY, Germany; KEK, Japan; RRCAT, Indore).
• Formulation of an experimentally supported model linking nanofiller structures to transport properties in PNCs.

Application and Impact: The successful mapping of structure-to-property relationships in polymer nanocomposites will significantly advance the field of flexible electronics. By optimising fabrication processes to achieve low percolation thresholds, the project promotes the scalable and cost-effective production of conductive PNCs. These materials have wide-ranging applications in wearable strain sensors, biopotential monitoring devices, and human-machine interfaces—critical for sectors such as healthcare, robotics, and smart systems. The project paves the way for future innovations in soft, adaptive, and intelligent sensing technologies.