My Journey in Assistive Technology and Entrepreneurship

Title of the Talk: My Journey in Assistive Technology and Entrepreneurship
Host Faculty: Dr.Rajesh Kedia
Speaker: Dr. M. Balakrishnan
Date: 17th April 2026
Time: 10.15 am
Venue: CSE Seminar hall, Ground floor, CSE-EE building

Abstract
Talk is in two parts. In the first part he describes some of his key projects related to Assistive Technology – primarily focused on mobility and education of visually impaired. In the second part, follow up with his entrepreneurial journey over the last 20+ years. Finally, he summarize these two distinct experiences into challenges and opportunities in setting up social enterprises.

Bio
Dr. M. Balakrishnan is now a Distinguished Visiting Professor with Plaksha University, Mohali as well as Honorary Professor of CSE at IIT Delhi. He has served as a faculty in IIT Delhi for 33+ years - teaching courses conducting research while holding a number of senior academic leadership positions. His research interests include, assistive technologies, embedded systems, EDA and system level design. His work on Assistive Technology is well recognized in India and abroad. Two of his most impactful works are: SmartCane used today by 120,000+ visually impaired persons and tactile books and kits from the non-profit Raised Lines Foundation used by thousands of visually impaired students for their STEM education. He is a recipient of three national awards and ACM Eugene Lawler award. He is a fellow of ACM as well as INAE.