The UQ-IITD Research Academy is proud to announce that two of its joint PhD candidates, Mr Debarun Banerjee and Ms Shally Gupta, has received the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Award 2024 in the Social Technological Innovation category. The awards were presented on 28 January 2026 at the CSIR–National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi.
The GYTI Award, managed by The Society for Research and Initiative for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI), celebrates the spirit of student innovation in the fields of engineering, science, technology, and design through affordable solutions with a technological edge, following the ‘More from Less for Many’ principle.
The award honours Mr Banerjee’s work on ‘Hydrogen-free catalytic conversion of agricultural wastes into green gasoline additives’, developing sustainable pathways to convert biomass residues into renewable fuels.
Mr Banerjee’s PhD research project is guided by the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) Supervisor Professor Sreedevi Upadhyayula and The University of Queensland (UQ) Professor Jack Clegg. He is also a fellow of the prestigious Prime Minister Research Fellowship (PMRF) program.
Ms Gupta received the award for her research on “Sustainable Approach for Precipitant-Free Selective Recovery of Transition Metals from End-of-Life Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Green Deep Eutectic Solvents.” Her work proposes a cleaner, more sustainable way to recycle batteries while reducing chemical use, improving lithium recovery, and enabling better reuse of materials.
Ms Gupta’s supervisors, Professor Kamal Kishore Pant (IIT Delhi) and Professor Glen Corder (UQ), are acknowledged for their significant support and guidance throughout her research.
The pair received their recognition in the presence of eminent leaders including Professor Ajay Kumar Sood (Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India), Dr R.A. Mashelkar, Professor Venu Gopal Achanta, Professor Anil Gupta, and Professor PVM Rao.
Congratulations to Mr Banerjee, Ms Gupta and their respective supervisors. This achievement inspires continued innovation at the intersection of catalysis, sustainable fuels, and biorefinery technologies.
The GYTI Award 2024 honoured 71 outstanding innovators across India including 11 awards and 60 appreciations whose work spans multiple domains, including healthcare, sustainable technologies, and advanced engineering.