ASME’s IMECE India 2025 Unites Research, Industry, and Academia for Futuristic Engineering Dialogue with collaborations from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governments

ASME’s IMECE India 2025 Unites Research, Industry, and Academia for Futuristic Engineering Dialogue with collaborations from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governments

• ASME’s inaugural congress in India underscores sustainability, innovation, inclusivity, and academia–industry collaboration, while spotlighting India’s MSMEs, hardware-led startups at Innovation Square, and future-ready skills through the Engineering Education Symposium, Women in Engineering panel, and the Expo Showcase.
• Event witnessed the signing of MoU with the ICT Academy of Kerala and inspiring keynotes from Shri Srinivas Kondapalli, Minister, MSME, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder, Skyroot Aerospace and Shri Tammireddy Sivasankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh MSME DC Chairman.

Chennai: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) today continued its flagship International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE) India 2025, the world’s largest mechanical engineering congress, hosted for the first time in Hyderabad. The event has spotlighted India’s leadership in engineering and innovation, with thought-provoking keynotes, policy dialogues. The event also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between ASME & ICT Academy of Kerala, aimed at strengthening collaboration in research, education, and advanced manufacturing.

Featuring keynotes and insights from distinguished leaders, including Dr. Shanmuga Sundaram, Congress Vice Chair, IMECE India 2025; Dr. Lester K. Su, President, ASME; Hon. Chief Guest - Shri Srinivas Kondapalli, Minister, MSME, SERP, and NRI Empowerment & Relations, Government of Andhra Pradesh, IMECE 2025, Shri Tammireddy Sivasankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh MSME DC Chairman and Mr. Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder, Skyroot Aerospace, IMECE 2025 underscored India’s key role in shaping the global engineering and innovation landscape.

Hon. Chief Guest Shri Srinivas Kondapalli, Minister, MSME, Government of Andhra Pradesh, stated, “I feel deeply honoured to be a part of ASME’s IMECE India 2025. Andhra Pradesh, with its strong infrastructure, sectoral parks, and innovation hubs, is fast emerging as a hub for manufacturing, MSMEs, and exports — contributing nearly 8% to India’s total exports. With forward-looking policies, investment-ready industrial nodes, and a focus on sustainability, the state is creating unprecedented opportunities for industries and startups alike. IMECE India perfectly complements this vision by enabling global collaborations, advancing engineering research, and strengthening academia–industry partnerships to reimagine India as an innovation-driven economy. Together, we are laying the foundation for a future where India leads the world in sustainable innovation and industrial growth.”

Mr. Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder, Skyroot Aerospace delighted with his experience at IMECE 2025 commented, “India is no longer just a consumer of advanced technologies — we are now building and exporting world-class deep tech to the globe. From defence to drones, biotech to quantum, and space to semiconductors, Indian startups are driving breakthroughs that will transform industries and societies. Skyroot is delighted to be a part of IMECE India 2025, and we look forward to such platforms providing India a global stage to showcase innovation.”

Mr. Madhukar Sharma, President & Director of ASME India, stated, “IMECE India 2025 marks a transformative moment for Indian engineers, researchers, and the wider technical community. By connecting them with global networks and fostering applied research through our Technical and Engineering Communities, covering areas like Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing, Advanced Materials &

Manufacturing Technologies, Advance in Thermal Technologies, Gas Turbines, Offshore Pipelines Transmission & Distribution System, Cyber Physical Systems + AI/ML, and Structures Structural Dynamics & Materials, we are enabling the development of more sustainable and innovative products.”

“We are deeply committed to partnering with India to support research and development, expand access to global engineering tools, and bridge academia and industry through platforms including IMECE India,” said ASME President Lester K. Su. “We are particularly inspired by India’s ambitious work in sustainability, from renewable energy integration to smart manufacturing and resilient infrastructure. These are the kinds of breakthroughs that will shape the next century, and India is already taking the lead.”

"The Departments of ITE&C and Industries & Commerce are driving Telangana’s emergence as a hub for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. With progressive policies, robust infrastructure, and strong industry collaboration, we are creating an enabling ecosystem for startups, MSMEs, and global enterprises to thrive. Platforms like IMECE India 2025 not only showcase India’s engineering and technological excellence but also reinforce Telangana’s commitment to becoming a preferred destination for investment and innovation”, Shri Sanjay Kumar, IAS Special Chief Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (ITE&C) and Department of Industries & Commerce.

“The dream of every academician, presenting a paper at the world’s largest gathering of mechanical engineers was once an aspiration reserved for those who could travel to the U.S. Today, that dream has become a reality. This unique opportunity invites researchers and academicians from around the globe to join the largest assembly of industry leaders, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. It’s also a chance to explore how India’s innovative approach to teaching, learning, and engineering products is contributing to the nation’s journey toward self-reliance. This inaugural event promises to be an enriching experience, serving as a fertile ground for future collaborations and groundbreaking ideas” said Dr. Shanmuga Sundaram, Congress Vice-Chair, IMECE India 2025

IMECE India’s core themes of sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity are reflected in the plenary keynote, “Advancing New Energy – Creating Vibrant and Enabling Infrastructure for Rapid Green Hydrogen Technology Development and Deployment for Clean Energy Transition.” India has already taken rapid strides in building a robust ecosystem to support clean energy technologies, particularly hydrogen and waste-to-energy. The first tranche of pilot-scale 1 MW–10 MW green hydrogen projects are underway, while regulators are actively framing compliance and certification mechanisms. Yet, key challenges remain, high costs, low-temperature storage, and workforce skilling. The panel explored pathways for collaboration across industry, research institutions, startups, and government to accelerate innovation, ensure equitable energy access, and build a cohesive, future-ready clean energy infrastructure aligned with national missions such as Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat 2047, the India Semiconductor Mission, and the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Key Highlights from Day 2

• Empowering MSMEs and Startups: A dedicated MSME Conclave spotlighted key themes including supplier assessment by Mr. Pramod B. Shrawage (Thermax), opportunities in aerospace & defence by Dr. Kishora Shetty (Boeing India), and a panel on skilling & technology adoption chaired by Dr. Shailaja D. (CSIR) with leaders from CTTC, CGSSC, TASK, and NSDC. The virtual sessions further featured Dr. N. Yuvaraj, IAS (AP Government), who spoke on the sector’s pivotal role in India’s growth, and Mr. Sanjay Kumar, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, who highlighted the state’s strengths as an investment destination

• Women in Engineering: The session “Turning the Gears: Women Shaping the Future of Mechanical Engineering” brought together leaders such as Ms. Geetha Ramamoorthi, Managing Director, KBR India; Dr. Rimzhim Gupta, Senior Applied Scientist, Paanduv Applications; Ms. Shraddha Kale, Co-Founder & CEO, ZephDroids UAVs; and Ms. Meera Ravi, COO, Viyoma Manufacturing, and Ms. Chaya T, Senior Manager, Mechanical & Structures Engineering, Boeing moderated by Dr. Susan Ipri-Brown, Immediate Past ASME President, highlighting women’s growing influence in innovation and leadership.
• Future-Ready Skills and Technology Workshops: Build & Beyond Workshops & Elevate ME Career Connect featured hands-on sessions on AI for Robotics Autonomy by Mr. Souvik Chatterjee and Mr. Rohit Bhattacharjee (MathWorks India), Digital Twin Technology by Dr. M. Manivannan (IIT Madras), and Future of Work Skills by Ms. Kavitha Kaleiselvi (Talentegrity Consulting), emphasizing adaptability, collaboration, and career management.
• Engineering Education Symposium: Sessions included an invited talk by Dr. Yogi Goswami, Distinguished Professor & Director, Clean Energy Research Center (USF), followed by panels on Innovation and Product Development Startups, emphasizing sustainability and social impact; Sustainability and Green Engineering, highlighting integration of green technologies and curricula aligned with India’s clean energy missions; and Make in India, focusing on engineering education’s role in driving self-reliance, indigenous innovation, and MSME collaboration.
• Masterclasses for entrepreneurs and innovators covered critical topics including ‘Intellectual Property Rights & Corporate Governance’ by Mr Shubham Arora, Advisor, Board Member - Legal, Strategy, Compliance, ‘Go-To-Market Strategy’ by Mr Vijay Singh, CEO & Managing Director Shunya Fodder, and ‘Idea-to-MVP journeys’ by Wadhwani Foundation.
• The Student Engagement Hackathon winners are Chandigarh University (First), Vishnu Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh (Second), Federal Institute of Science and Technology (Third).

With diverse tracks covering semiconductors, clean energy, cyber-physical systems, aerospace, and AI/ML, IMECE India 2025 is driving India’s transition from a service economy to an innovation-driven economy.