Dr. Nishanth Dongari, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at IIT Hyderabad and Founder of PUR Energy Limited (PURE Energy), has been conferred the Nina Saxena Excellence in Technology Award 2026 by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. The recognition, part of the institute's Platinum Jubilee Year celebrations, was announced in a statement from Hyderabad on August 24, as reported by Outlook Business and The Tribune.
The award acknowledges Dr. Dongari's pioneering work on PuREPower, described as India's First All-In-One Integrated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). According to the reports, this technology was developed to accelerate India's transition to reliable, decentralised clean energy for homes and businesses. The Nina Saxena Excellence in Technology Award is presented annually by IIT Kharagpur to encourage, recognise, and promote outstanding technical innovation and technology commercialisation by Indian technologists, commemorating the legacy of the institute's distinguished alumna, Dr. Nina Saxena.
The Award and the Recipient
Dr. Dongari holds a dual role as an academic at IIT Hyderabad and an entrepreneur building deep-tech hardware, a combination that reflects PURE Energy's commitment to research-driven innovation in renewable energy and battery storage. The award was formally conferred at IIT Kharagpur's Platinum Jubilee Foundation Day ceremony on 18 August 2026, according to one of the reports. Another report adds that the award was presented by Prof. Gobardhan Das, Member of NITI Aayog, and Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT Kharagpur.
The award recognises Dr. Dongari's work on PuREPower, which was engineered to address a distinct Indian problem: unreliable grid power paired with the rising cost and inconvenience of diesel generators and conventional inverters. As an integrated hybrid solar and power backup product, PuREPower combines solar charging and advanced lithium-ion storage into a single compact, indoor-friendly device, eliminating the need for separate inverters, batteries, and outdoor installations. The product features a sub-10-millisecond automatic switchover, AI-driven battery management, and compatibility with solar and grid-export policies such as PM Surya Ghar. One report highlights that this positions it as India's first fully indigenous, end-to-end engineered BESS product.
PURE Energy's expansion
Under Dr. Dongari's leadership, PURE Energy has expanded its footprint across India's residential and commercial BESS market, as noted in both reports. While the coverage in Outlook Business focuses on the prestigious award and largely eliminates product details, The Tribune's articles provide additional context, including an 'About PURE Energy' section and a listing of the company's website. These reports also carry a disclaimer indicating that the content was syndicated through a press release or news agency feed.
Perspectives
- Honouring Technical Innovation: The award acknowledges an outstanding technical achievement aimed at solving India's energy storage challenges. The narrative emphasises the significance of PuREPower in the context of national clean energy transition goals, with the product's unique features (sub-10ms switchover, AI management, policy compatibility) signalling a step forward for domestic BESS technology.
- Awards as Recognition of Recent Achievement: The recognition also serves as a marker of PURE Energy's success under Dr. Dongari. The reports frame this award as a token of the institute's respect for Dr. Dongari's dual career, representing a possible template for future academic-entrepreneurial collaborations.