AICTE IDEA Lab Inaugurated at Panjab University South Campus; 3-Day SPARC-Sponsored Workshop Begins

Chandigarh November 17, 2025: Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, today opened its AICTE IDEA Lab at PI-RAHI, South Campus, marking a major addition to the institution’s innovation and skill-development infrastructure. 

The prestigious lab was inaugurated by Prerna Puri, IAS, Secretary, Education Department, Chandigarh Administration, in the presence of PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Renu Vig and Dr. Cuifeng Ying from Nottingham Trent University, who attended as Guest of Honour under the SPARC–UKIERI collaboration. The launch is part of the University’s consistent focus on experiential learning, technology-enabled training, and industry–academia partnership.

The IDEA Lab initiative is led by Chief Patron Prof. RenuVig, Chief Mentor, Prof. Sukhwinder Singh, Faculty Coordinator Dr. Gaurav Sapraand Faculty Co-Coordinator Prof. Rajesh Kumarwith support from a multidisciplinary team from UIET.

The event was also attended by Prof. Y.P. Verma, Registrar, Panjab University; Prof. Manu Sharma, Coordinator, DST-TEC, PU; Prof. Gaurav Verma, Honorary Director, CIL, PU; Prof. Ganga Ram Chaudhary, Coordinator, RUSA, PU and Prof. Rajat Sandhir, Director, PI-RAHI.

The IDEA Lab aims to bridge industry needs with academic expertise by identifying real-world challenges, providing hands-on training, fostering innovative and technology-driven solutions. It aligns strongly with national missions such as Skill India, Make in India, Digital Indiaand Startup India while contributing to Sustainable Development Goals focusing on quality education, innovation and economic growth.

The Lab features three specialised facilities across PI-RAHI and UIET, equipped to support prototyping, product development and interdisciplinary research. The PI-RAHI Technology Block houses 3D printers, microscopes, oscilloscopes, LabVIEW systems, ARM microcontrollers, soldering stations, power toolsand a portable 3D scanner. The Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department at UIET includes facilities for embedded systems and IoT development, featuring GPIO modules, quadcopter kits, electric bicycle components, ESP32/STM32 microcontrollers, workstations, power supplies and advanced measuring tools. The Mechanical Engineering Department hosts fabrication and machining tools including welding and drilling machines, sanding equipment, a laser cutter, grinder, pillar drill, Dremel kit, vernier calipers, micrometersand other essential mechanical instrumentation.

The IDEA Lab will work closely with the DST-supported Technology Enabling Centre (TEC) which has identified over 200 industrial challenges in the northern region creating opportunities for collaborative innovation across engineering, materials science, biotechnology, pharmacy and related domains.To ensure long-term sustainability, the Lab aims to secure additional project-based funding, expand industry partnerships, commercialise lab-developed technologiesand integrate IDEA Lab activities into the academic ecosystem.

Coinciding with the inauguration, a three-day SPARC-sponsored hands-on workshoponArtificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT)and Design Simulation commenced, aimed at enhancing the technical competencies of students and faculty through immersive, application-oriented training aligned with current industry requirements.