The India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 scheduled for 6–9 December 2025 in Panchkula, Haryana, will feature 14 thematic frontiers focused on future technologies, sustainability, and broad scientific outreach showcasing the theme, “Vigyan Se Samriddhi: For Aatmanirbhar Bharat”

Ahead of IISF 2025, curtain-raiser events for the festival are being conducted locally displaying activities that are bringing science closer to communities through a people-centric, bottom-up approach while highlighting ongoing work in areas such as Space, Quantum, and Emerging technologies. 

In this light, the Raman Research Institute also conducted its curtain-raiser event on Tuesday, 25th November 2025, to contribute to the nationwide effort of fostering scientific awareness and engagement. During this occasion, special talks on Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Quantum technology sciences were delivered by our distinguished scientists.

The event opened with a compelling talk by Prof. Mayuri S Rao, Faculty, Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Raman Research institute, who spoke about the importance of studying the electromagnetic spectrum across multiple bands and why radio frequencies are so vital in probing the early universe. She conveyed the significance of PRATUSH, first of its kind proposed space payload, that is designed to help detect faint radio signal emitted from hydrogen atoms (21-cm signal), which carries imprints of several events of the Cosmic Dawn, from lunar orbit that will answer questions about the first stars formed in our universe.

Prof. Urbasi Sinha, Faculty, Light and Matter Physics (LAMP) at the Raman Research institute, then carried forward the event with her thought-provoking presentation on the cutting-edge research conducted at her Quantum Information & Computing (QuIC) laboratory at RRI. She detailed how her group uses single and entangled photons to achieve secure quantum communication, including quantum key distribution (QKD), and elaborated on how quantum cryptography is essential for safeguarding future communications in an era of growing threats, reflecting upon RRI’s ambition in building long-distance quantum networks.

The event then continued with the webinar by Prof. Saptarishi Chaudhuri, Faculty, Light and Matter Physics (LAMP), who highlighted his research on ultra-cold Rydberg atoms happening at RRI’s Quantum Mixtures (QuMix) lab. He described their experimental efforts to cool and trap mixed-species atomic clouds (sodium and potassium), and how they use these systems to explore atomic spin correlations, precision spectroscopy, and Rydberg interactions with an eye toward quantum simulation and advanced quantum technologies.

 

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