New Delhi, Nov 29 (AHN) The inaugural InfraPandit Awards 2025 celebrated two outstanding PhD research works that focus on some of India’s most urgent infrastructure needs -- clean energy access and urban sanitation.

The event was held on November 29, at the India Habitat Centre in the national capital and was attended by chief guest Sthaladipti Saha, Senior Vice President & Head of Buildings & Factories at L&T Construction.

He said that while infrastructure expresses a nation’s ambition, science provides the structure behind it, adding that India’s future depends not just on physical development but also on intellect and innovation.

The awards received applications from 16 top institutions across the country, including IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IISc Bengaluru, IIM Ahmedabad, SPA New Delhi, BITS Pilani, Jadavpur University and several NITs.

Notably, 33 per cent of the applicants were women, highlighting the growing participation of women in India’s infrastructure research space.

The submissions covered a wide range of themes such as clean energy, environment, transport systems, governance, urbanisation, technology and civil engineering.

The Uttam Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, was awarded to Dr. Shubham Jain from IIT Delhi.

His research focuses on a new cascade latent heat storage system for solar cooking and includes a patented solar-powered thermal battery that allows indoor cooking at multiple temperatures.

This innovation offers a clean, affordable and scalable solution at a time when India is rapidly pushing for low-carbon technologies.

A large-scale deployment of his technology is already planned in Ladakh for solar cooking, drying and community-level heating.

The Mahaan Award, which comes with a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, was given to Dr. Paresh Jawarilal Chhajed from IIT Bombay.

His research provides a governance and policy framework to scale Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) systems in small Indian cities where traditional sewerage is not feasible.

His work addresses a key gap in urban sanitation and supports national missions like Swachh Bharat and AMRUT.

Dr. Chhajed’s research covers sanitation systems across more than 60 cities and has already shaped real-world practice, including his contribution to Kerala’s Integrated Wastewater and Septage Management Guidelines.

Both awardees continue to work in applied research even after completing their PhDs earlier this year.

Dr. Jain is currently a Research Associate at the Ashoka Centre for a People-Centric Energy Transition in New Delhi, where he works on clean technology and industrial decarbonisation.

Dr. Chhajed is a Project Manager at the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies at IIT Bombay, where he is working on governance and policy design for infrastructure systems.