Stellantis partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Centre for Innovation (CFI), IIT Madras to host a Technical Idea Hackathon. The objective was for the students of IIT Madras to demonstrate their creativity and contribute to cost optimization initiatives, thereby driving innovation in the automotive sector.
A diverse group of over 500 students from various engineering streams of IIT Madras participated in this week-long event. The highlight of the Ideation Hackathon was the hands-on exploration of Citroen models, featuring models like C3, eC3, and C3 Aircross.
During the workshop, participants engaged in brainstorming sessions, generating innovative ideas to address the pressing challenges of cost optimization in the automotive industry. Each group presented their top three ideas, showcasing the depth of their understanding and commitment to finding practical solutions.
Six student innovation teams who demonstrated frugal engineering were awarded a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh. Ashwani Muppasani, COO, Stellantis India & Asia Pacific gave away the awards to the winning teams and shared Stellantis’ vision of fostering and leveraging industry-academia relations.
He said, “We as Stellantis are thrilled to be part of the CFI Open House 2024 hosted by IIT Madras. I am very encouraged with the student-designed cost optimization ideas that were showcased at the event as they were not just cutting-edge but also practical to implement in the real world.”
He added, “As a company, our ambition is to embrace breakthrough ideas that will reinforce our leadership in offering innovative, clean, safe and affordable mobility to all. I congratulate all the winners and participating students for their outstanding commitment and efforts to display their spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation.”
