IIT Indore Hosts Chemical Engineering Open House, Announces Malwa Chemical Conclave

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): IIT Indore’s Department of Chemical Engineering organised its biannual open house lately featuring Satish Agrawal, senior asset manager, TotalEnergies, as the keynote speaker.

The event brought together faculty members and students, including newly admitted MTech students of the Chemical Processes Design and Intelligence programme, along with BTech and PhD students.

Faculty members presented their ongoing research activities, providing students with an overview of the department’s research ecosystem and emerging areas in chemical engineering.

In his keynote address, Agrawal shared insights from his industry experience and guided students on building meaningful careers in chemical engineering, from academic life at IIT to professional opportunities in industry.

The programme concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where Agrawal addressed students’ queries on the oil and gas sector, the evolving renewable energy landscape and diverse career pathways for chemical engineering graduates.

The interaction offered students practical perspectives on industry trends and the skills required to align academic interests with future professional opportunities.

The department also announced the second edition of the Malwa Chemical Conclave, scheduled for Oct 12 at IIT Indore.

The conclave aims to bring together academia, industry, and policymakers to discuss contemporary industrial challenges and explore innovative, globally relevant engineering solutions through knowledge exchange and collaboration.

The inaugural edition in 2025 featured eminent industry and policy representatives, including Meghdeep Agrawal, vice president, Safeflex International Limited; Kapil Jat, general manager, Jaideep Ispat (Moira Sariya & Pipe); Arpit Jain, director, Fenton Chemicals; and Shubhanjali Umrao, deputy director, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Discussions focused on industry challenges, emerging opportunities, standards, innovation, sustainability and the role of chemical engineering in advancing the vision of 'Viksit Bharat'.

Supported by BIS through its IIT Indore chemical engineering student chapter, the 2026 conclave will feature industry talks and panel discussions, student poster sessions, hands-on workshops, 10-minute faculty consulting sessions, and an overview of the institute’s research ecosystem.

An optional tour of the department’s laboratories and research facilities may also be offered, subject to confirmation during the first session.