EFY Prize, part of IIT Madras Institute Day since 2012, was awarded to BS-MS Physics student Shrey Ramanujam this time. A budding innovator who has led India’s team in international physics tournaments, how does he plan to shape a future in science?
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has awarded the Electronics For You (EFY) Prize 2026 to Shrey Ramanujam, a BS-MS Physics student whose academic excellence and research achievements have earned him recognition as one of the institute’s top-performing students.
The award was presented during IIT Madras’ 67th Institute Day celebrations held on 30 April 2026. This day, as one of its most prestigious annual events, celebrates achievements across the institute and honours outstanding students, faculty members, researchers, staff and alumni.
The ceremony was presided over by IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti and attended by Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India V. Anantha Nageswaran, who delivered the Institute Day address.
Instituted in 2012 by Electronics For You founder and IIT Madras alumnus Ramesh Chopra, the EFY Prize has become a longstanding symbol of academic excellence at the institute. The event also featured the presentation of Distinguished Alumnus Awards (DAA), Young Alumni Achiever Awards (YAAA), Distinguished Alumni Service Awards (DASA), research awards and teaching excellence honours. Among the notable alumni recognised this year were Srinivas Narayanan, Aravind Srinivas, Jayant Paleti and Ananth Dodabalapur.
According to Ramanujam, the award is currently presented to the BS-MS Physics student with the highest CGPA in the fifth and sixth semesters.
“Receiving such a distinguished award means a great deal to me, both personally and academically,” said Ramanujam. “Academics form a major part of student life, and it is rewarding to have that effort recognised.”
Currently pursuing the five-year BS-MS Dual Degree programme in Physics, Ramanujam has maintained a CGPA of 9.31/10 through Semester 7 and has built an impressive research portfolio. His work spans ultrafast optics, gravitational-wave technologies, astrophysics and scientific instrumentation.
Among his notable projects is research on higher-harmonic generation and ultrafast optics under Professor Sivarama Krishnan at IIT Madras, where he is working to generate attosecond-scale laser pulses and develop multi-pass pulse-compression systems. He has also led IIT Madras’ LIGO Tech Explorers initiative, collaborating with researchers from IUCAA on gravitational-wave detector technologies.
His research has taken him to leading international laboratories, including two internships at the Institute for Quantum Optics, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, where he worked on femtosecond laser-driven X-ray generation, speckle imaging and computational modelling of X-ray spectra. He is currently pursuing a research internship at King’s College London, focusing on pulse-compression systems, which complements his ongoing work at IIT Madras.
Reflecting on his journey into physics, Ramanujam said his fascination began during his school years when he discovered the subject’s unique approach to problem-solving.
“I was fascinated by the way physics approaches problems; the intuition, the logical reasoning, and the problem-solving process. What attracted me most was that the same style of thinking extends beyond competitive exams into actual scientific research,” he said.
Beyond research, Ramanujam has represented India at the International Physicists’ Tournament (IPT), serving as Team Captain during IPT 2024 at ETH Zurich after winning the Indian Physicists’ Tournament. He will again represent India at IPT 2026 in the United States.
His achievements also extend into engineering innovation. As part of IIT Madras’ Team Anveshak, he helped develop a compact visible spectrometer for soil analysis, work that led to a patent application titled ‘A Device for Spectral Analysis of Soil Samples and a Method Thereof.’
Looking ahead, Ramanujam plans to pursue a PhD in physics, with interests ranging from ultrafast optics and quantum optics to theoretical physics. He says the experiences he has gained through research, competitions and international collaborations have reinforced his commitment to a career in science.
For students aspiring to follow a similar path, he offered a simple message:
“I think the most important thing is to genuinely enjoy what you do. Today, especially in science and technology, there are countless opportunities and career paths available. It is important to spend time exploring different areas and discovering what truly interests you.”
He added that passion has been the driving force behind his own achievements, “For me, my passion for physics has been the driving force behind everything I have done. It motivated me to pursue research opportunities, take on challenging projects, and continue learning.”
Ramanujam believes students should not wait for opportunities to come to them but actively seek them out, “If you are passionate about your field, opportunities will always exist, and you can create new opportunities for yourself. Ultimately, you have the chance to write your own story, so make it a good one.”
The EFY Prize continues a long-standing association between Electronics For You and IIT Madras, recognising students whose academic excellence and research potential position them among the next generation of scientists, innovators and technology leaders.
