Team Quantum Realm from the Chennai campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham  secured second place nationally at the ISRO Robotics Challenge (IRoC-U) 2026, organized by the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). Along with the prestigious spot, the student team won a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham secured 2nd place nationally at ISRO Robotics Challenge 2026, winning a Rs 7 lakh cash prize

The award was presented on August 23 in Ahmedabad during the National Space Day celebrations. The team received the prize from Gujarat Cabinet Minister Arjunbhai Modhwadia and ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan, in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The 10-member student team includes Tanush J, Shakti Sree Kumaran, Sanjay Sree, Ram Sreekanth, Kevin Victor, Kavish V, N. Sunil Varma, Manoj Gangadharan, Rahothaman M, and Dharmadashan. They were guided by mentors Dr. Piyush Pratap Singh and Dr. Abhishek Jha.

Nearly 600 teams from across India participated in the competition, with only 20 making it to the final stage. The final field evaluation took place from July 21 to 23 at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

For the final challenge, the students had to design autonomous drones and base stations capable of surveying, navigating, landing, and transmitting data in areas without GPS access. Their technology was designed to help support future space and planetary exploration missions.

Launched in 2024 to honor the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the annual IRoC-U competition aims to encourage scientific and technological talent among young innovators across the country.

About Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a multi-disciplinary, research-intensive private university with a student strength of over 31,000, supported by more than 2,150 faculty members. Accredited with the highest ‘A++’ grade by NAAC, Amrita offers more than 300 undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs spanning diverse fields, including Engineering, Management, Medical Sciences, Ayurveda, Life Sciences, Physical and Agricultural Sciences, Law, Arts & Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences.

With a network of ten campuses located in Amaravati, Amritapuri, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Mysuru, Nagercoil, NCR Delhi (Faridabad), and Haridwar, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham stands among India’s leading private universities. Spanning over 1,200 acres with more than 10 million square feet of built-up area, the university is distinguished for its commitment to academic excellence and consistently ranks among the top private institutions in the country, reinforcing its reputation as a premier center for quality education.