Ms. Kathu Sudevan, Research Scholar at the Advanced Microwave Lab, Department of Avionics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), under the guidance of Prof. Chinmoy Saha, has been awarded the IEEE Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC) 2026 Student Travel Grant. The grant provides travel support of ¥100,000 to present her research paper titled “Spectrally Efficient Single-Sideband PWM Timed Arrays Using Digitally Controlled I/Q Signals.” The conference will be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from 8–11 November 2026.

The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) has been granted its 28th patent by the Indian Patent Office for an invention entitled Hybrid Nonlinear-Linear Quantum-Enhanced Optical Gyroscope. The patent, numbered 605906, was filed under Application No. 202641015052 on 11 February 2026 and granted on 14 October 2026. The inventors of the patent are Mr. Ashok Kumar and Ms. Priyanka M. The patent has been granted to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology for a term of 20 years from 11 February 2026 under the Patents Act, 1970.

Prof. Chinmoy Saha, Professor, Department of Avionics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, has been conferred with the prestigious IETE–Prof. SVC Aiya Memorial Award 2026 by the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE). The award was presented during the 69th Annual IETE Convention (AIC–2026), held in Kolkata on 25–26 September 2026, with the theme “Network Security and Blockchain Technology.” According to the award communication from IETE, Prof.

Smt. Minu Pramod, assumed charge as Registrar, IIST on 1st October, 2026. Before joining IIST she was a distinguished Officer from the 1997 batch of the Indian Civil Service (IRS- Customs and Indirect Taxes). A gold medalist Post Graduate in Biology, she also holds a distinction in MBA (HR) and brings with her near three decades of multifaceted administrative and leadership experience across India's indirect tax and public governance architecture.

Dr. A. M. Ramiya, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, IIST, has been conferred with the Indian National Geospatial Award during the 47th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS 2026) in New Delhi. The award was presented by Dr. Narayanan (Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO), Dr. Prakash Chauhan (Director, NRSC), Dr. Sameer Saran (President, Indian Society of Geomatics), Prof Kohei Cho (General secretary, Asian Association of Remote Sensing) and Dr. Ji Sang Park (International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Congress 2030 Director).

Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph, Pro Vice Chancellor, IIST, has been named among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University and Elsevier and also listed in the career-long data category for the last 6 consecutive years. Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph has been widely acclaimed for his outstanding research contributions, with more than 250 research papers in leading international journals, nine books and several patents to his credit. He has a notable h-index of 70 and a citation index of more than 19800. 22 doctoral students have achieved their PhD degree under his supervision.

The objective of the MoU is to promote academic and research collaboration between IIST and IIT Madras (IITM). One of the key goals is to facilitate IIST’s contribution to existing as well as upcoming online M.Tech. programmes offered by IITM. Faculty and student exchanges will be actively encouraged to enable the effective utilization of the high-end research facilities available at both institutes. The MoU also seeks to promote joint research proposals in specialized fields and areas of national importance.

ISAMPE Innovative application award has been conferred upon Dr. V S Sooraj, Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIST in recognition of his significant research contributions in the field of advanced materials processing, particularly for the innovative processing strategies in subtractive manufacturing, harnessing the transformative capabilities of additive manufacturing. This award recognizes his sustained pursuit of innovation, technological advancement, and excellence in manufacturing research for aerospace and allied applications.

The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) congratulates Hathor Rockets Private Limited, an IIST-incubated spacetech startup, on raising ₹14 Crore in pre-seed funding, led by IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund-I, with participation from prominent angel investors.

Hathor Rockets is building ready-to-integrate liquid rocket engines for launch vehicles, in-space mobility platforms, and strategic applications.

Mr. Chirang R. Patel, Research Scholar in the Quantum Optical Technology Lab (QOT Lab), Department of Physics of IIST Thiruvananthapuram, working under the supervision of Dr. Ashok Kumar, has been awarded the OPTICA Best Oral Presentation Award at the International Conference, Frontiers in Optics and Photonics (FOP 2026), jointly organized by IIT Delhi and CSIR-NPL from September 25 to 28, 2026.

Ms. Anitta Jomy, a Research Scholar in the Applied and Adaptive Optics Laboratory, Department of Physics, working under the supervision of Dr. Dinesh N. Naik and Dr. Biswajit Pathak, has been awarded the OPTICA Best Oral Presentation Award at the International Conference, Frontiers in Optics and Photonics (FOP 2026), jointly organized by IIT Delhi and CSIR-NPL from September 25 to 28, 2026. Mr.

Dr. Seena V delivered Invited Talk Title: Towards Indigenous Gas Sensor Technology Silicon and Polymer MEMS Platforms at COCHIN NANO 2026: 

Fifth International Conference on Frontiers in Nanoscience and Technology