Tata Steel’s Annual Innovation Challenge 'Mind Over Matter' Concludes with Record Participation

Mumbai, March 10, 2025: Tata Steel has successfully concluded the 10th edition of its annual innovation challenge, ‘Mind Over Matter’. This unique initiative challenges the sharpest and smartest engineering students from the country's top institutes to address real-life problems related to steel-making and new materials. 

In a fiercely contested virtual finale held on March 7, 2025, Namita Dubey from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad Campus emerged as the Winner, while Ravu Ravi Teja from IIT (BHU) Varanasi secured the 1st Runner-up position, and Kurapati Harshavardhan from IIT (BHU) Varanasi bagged the 2nd Runner-up position. The winner, along with the first and second runners-up, received certificates and cash prizes of Rs 100,000, Rs 75,000, and Rs 50,000, respectively.

Additionally, they were awarded certificates and Pre-Placement Offers to join Tata Steel as Management Trainees in the Research and Development (R&D) team. The remaining finalists were also offered Pre-Placement Interviews. The winning teams will also be invited to Tata Steel to create prototypes of their ideas under the mentorship of Tata Steel's R&D leadership.

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Congratulating the winners Subodh Pandey, Vice President - Technology, R&D, NMB and Graphene, Tata Steel, said: "The 10th edition of Mind Over Matter has been a testament to the incredible talent and innovative spirit of young engineers across the country. The solutions presented by the finalists reflect not only their technical prowess but also their ability to think critically and address real-world challenges. At Tata Steel, we are committed to nurturing such talent and providing them with a platform to transform their ideas into reality. We look forward to seeing these bright minds contribute to the future of steel and new materials technology.”

This season’s finale featured the top 5 finalists presenting their innovative solutions to an esteemed jury panel comprising Subhodh Pandey, Vice President - Technology, R&D, NMB and Graphene, Tata Steel, Rahul Kumar Verma, Chief Product Research, Tata Steel, and Abhijit Avinash Nanoti, Managing Director, JCAPCPL. These teams were mentored by Tata Steel’s R&D leadership during a six-month internship. The competition witnessed a record-breaking registration count of 660+ participants from 37 national and regional technology and engineering institutions, including 14 IITs and 10 NITs.

The Mind Over Matter challenge was open to 1st-year M.Tech students alongside final-year B.Tech students, including those pursuing 5-year dual-degree courses (B.Tech + M.Tech). Mind Over Matter has consistently set a benchmark for cutting-edge research and collaboration between corporates, academia, and students.

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This year’s competition welcomed registrations from aspiring innovators, providing them with a platform to engage in real-world problem-solving. Participants submitted case studies from a curated set of 15 challenges, resulting in over 100 high-quality submissions. These submissions underwent a rigorous technical evaluation, leading to the selection of five outstanding finalists across four case studies.

Over the last decade, the journey of Mind Over Matter has been one of relentless innovation and collaboration, inspiring young minds to push the boundaries of technology and engineering. As the competition continues to grow, it remains a testament to Tata Steel’s commitment to fostering talent and driving innovation in the steel industry. 

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