~IIT Gandhinagar PhD scholar Sagar Kumar Deb receives the prestigious Larry Kaufman Scholarship 2026 for his computational thermodynamics research on an indigenous high-strength aluminium alloy supporting Make in India.
Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Aug 05 (VNI): Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) PhD scholar Sagar Kumar Deb has earned international recognition after receiving the prestigious Larry Kaufman Scholarship 2026, awarded annually by CALPHAD Inc. for outstanding research in computational thermodynamics. The scholarship is conferred on only around 20 researchers worldwide each year, making Deb one of the few Indian recipients and the first PhD scholar from IITGN to receive the honour. The award also enabled him to present his research at the 53rd CALPHAD Conference in Quebec, Canada.
The award recognises Deb’s research under the guidance of Prof. Amit Arora of IITGN’s Department of Materials Engineering. Supported by a three-year project funded by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, the research focuses on developing a new indigenous Aluminium-Magnesium-Silicon (Al-Mg-Si) based 6xxx series alloy that offers higher strength than the widely used AA6082 alloy while maintaining excellent corrosion resistance and ductility. The innovation aims to reduce India’s dependence on imported aluminium materials used in defence, aerospace, transportation and other strategic sectors.
Unlike conventional alloy development that relies on lengthy trial-and-error experiments, the IITGN team used the advanced CALPHAD computational methodology to virtually design thousands of alloy compositions before experimentally validating the most promising candidate. The alloy has been successfully manufactured and tested using advanced techniques such as X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The project has reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and is now progressing towards industrial-scale validation in collaboration with the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur, and Siddhi Engineers, Ahmedabad. A provisional Indian patent has also been filed.
Prof. Amit Arora said the research demonstrates how computational materials engineering can accelerate innovation while addressing real industrial challenges. If commercialised, the indigenous alloy could help Indian manufacturers produce advanced aluminium components domestically, strengthen the country’s manufacturing ecosystem, support the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, reduce imports, improve fuel efficiency through lighter components and lower carbon emissions. Reflecting on the recognition, Deb said his immediate goal is industrial-scale validation, patent completion and technology transfer to the Indian aluminium industry, while expressing hope that his journey will inspire students from Northeast India and other underrepresented regions to pursue advanced scientific research. VNI NEWS, IIT Gandhinagar, Sagar Kumar Deb, Larry Kaufman Scholarship 2026, Computational Thermodynamics, Aluminium Alloy Research, CALPHAD, Aluminium Alloy, Materials Engineering, Research, Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Gujarat, VNINews, VNINews.com