Latest news with #Shrivastava
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Int'l Business Times
Speeding up mechanical simulations with AI
Photo of Chinmay-Shrivastava For five years, a single idea dominated Chinmay Shrivastava's thoughts: humans didn't have enough hours in the day to build the designs of the future. An avid lover of science fiction, Chinmay struggled to see how current mechanical engineering methods could build the starships that he dreamed would take him throughout the galaxy. While studying computational mechanics during his undergrad at IIT Roorkee, he watched a TED Talk in which Maurice Conti used AI to optimize a car chassis through millions of iterations. The resulting design outperformed what any human could have created alone. But real-world engineering doesn't work that way, yet. High-fidelity simulations take days, cost thousands, and require hours of expert setup. Engineers are limited in how often they can test and improve their designs. Immediately after watching that TED talk 5 years ago, Shrivastava began working on AI models to accelerate simulation, but the early approaches, CNNs and LSTMs, couldn't properly model nonlinear physics or generalize beyond their training data. He dreamed of a general model that could actually understand how physics affected 3D geometries. In 2024, Shrivastava met Noah Evers while working on early LLM reasoning research. They began combining recent breakthroughs in physics-based learning with the paradigm of large-scale pretraining proven by ChatGPT. Their goal: to build a foundation model that could run complex mechanical simulations in seconds and extrapolate to new geometries, materials, and physical conditions. Today, CompLabs is developing this model with leading aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing companies. These organizations regularly run simulations that take days and cost thousands of dollars. CompLabs' model replicates the performance of an organization's existing simulation software, but in a version that runs in seconds, enabling engineers to explore broader design spaces faster and find better designs. These companies plan to use our model to test thousands of design permutations, like optimizing material and geometry combinations for thermal performance, compressing months of work into hours. A technical and personal mission Shrivastava's path to this problem was shaped by both expertise and personal pain. At 14, he suffered a severe reaction to carbon soot during Diwali. "I was coughing up blood," he recalls. "My hands and feet were covered in ulcers. I couldn't eat solid food for two weeks." He learned that carbon soot was a byproduct of design and manufacturing inefficiency and resolved to do something about it. This led him to study mechanical engineering. "We waste energy everywhere," he explains. "Airplanes and cars burn more fuel than they need. Industrial systems—from HVAC to manufacturing equipment—are overdesigned and underoptimized. Everything is energy. And every bit of excess—fuel, material, or heat— translates into carbon. That carbon harms the planet." After his carbon soot incident, he left home to become an engineer, studying in isolation for two years and attending IIT Roorkee and later Brown, where he worked on finite-element solvers, soft materials, and AI systems. From speeding up simulation to intelligent design CompLabs raised $2.65 million in pre-seed funding from Alt Capital, Cory Levy, and Joris Poort (Founder of Rescale). It's focused on building a new infrastructure layer for mechanical designs: one that uses foundation models to speed up simulations and reason about design trade-offs. "We're not replacing solvers. Solvers serve the essential role of structurally approximating physics. We're just approximating these solvers in a more computationally efficient form." But a model that understands geometries and how they're affected by physics has implications beyond simulation. It can autonomously improve designs and understand high-level concepts like manufacturability without relying on low-level heuristics. It can serve as a bridge between experimental results and numerical solvers, calibrating models to real-world data and even predicting system-level behavior (like force-response curves or failure modes) directly from shapes. CompLabs hopes to use AI to supercharge the capabilities of mechanical engineers. As Shrivastava puts it, "Mechanical engineering used to be glorious: steam engines, railways, airplanes, putting a man on the moon. Engineers were national heroes. But then software ate the world, and we lost that. The times are changing. From SpaceX to Anduril, hardware is cool again. We're going to put datacenters in space, robots in the home, and fly on supersonic jets. AI is going to help us do that. We want to usher in a new golden age of mechanical engineering."
Observer
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Jatinder guides Oman to dramatic Super Over win over USA
Duleep Mendis' men register second consecutive victory in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Lauderhill, USA MUSCAT: Captain Jatinder Singh produced a masterclass under pressure, scoring a sublime century and later finishing the job in the Super Over as Oman edged hosts USA in a dramatic ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 encounter at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, USA, on Wednesday. It was Oman's second successive win in the ongoing League 2 tri-series, which also features Canada. Jatinder's knock of 100 from 101 balls laid the foundation for Oman's total of 266. But it was his nerveless striking in the one-over shootout — where he smashed 13 off just 4 balls — that sealed a thrilling win for Duleep Mendis' side, helping Oman leapfrog Scotland into third place on the eight-team table. Opting to field first after winning the toss, USA might have hoped to restrict Oman to a modest total. But the visitors found a pillar of resistance in Jatinder, who batted with patience and purpose despite early wickets tumbling around him. Oman were precariously placed at 55 for 4 in the 12th over when Jatinder and the experienced Mohammad Nadeem (40 off 89) came together. Oman players celebrating after winning the super over Their 103-run fifth-wicket stand revived the innings. Jatinder reached his 50 from 62 balls and accelerated smartly to bring up a brilliant century off exactly 100 deliveries, striking 9 fours and 2 sixes. The captain was eventually dismissed for 100 in the 41st over, caught by Saiteja Mukkamalla off Saurabh Netravalkar. Late fireworks from Vinayak Shukla (44 off 42, 3x4, 2x6) and a whirlwind 42 off just 23 balls by Hassnain Shah, which included four maximums, powered Oman past the 260 mark. Despite five wickets from Milind Kumar (5/66), Oman's total of 266 from 49.4 overs looked competitive. USA FIGHT BACK TO TIE USA's chase began with early jitters as leg-spinner Samay Shrivastava and pacer Hassnain Shah removed openers Andries Gous and skipper Monank Patel inside the first 26 overs. Smit Patel (44) and Saiteja Mukkamalla (46) tried to rebuild, but regular strikes by Oman kept the game tight. The turning point came when Milind Kumar joined the party. His counterattacking 68 from 65 balls, supported by a cameo from Harmeet Singh (25 off 14), brought USA right back into the match. The hosts needed 18 to win off the final over with two wickets in hand. Jasdeep Singh and Nosthush Kenjige were at the crease with Shrivastava to defend 17. Kenjige stole a leg bye off the first ball to bring the attacking Jasdeep on strike. A couple was followed by a no-ball (full toss) from Shrivastava that was pulled to the boundary to leak five runs. However, off the free hit, Kenjige was run out to swing the pendulum in Oman's favour. USA needed 10 to win off the last three balls. Jasdeep took a couple and then smashed a six to bring the equation down to two to win off the last ball. Shrivastava held his nerve to concede only a single, tying the scores and forcing a Super Over. SUPER OVER DRAMA USA batted first in the Super Over and managed 13 without loss, thanks to a big six from Andries Gous off Hassnain Shah. But that was not enough against a man in form and full confidence. Jatinder, fittingly, returned to finish what he started. Facing Harmeet Singh, he clubbed a six and a four in the first three balls before Hassnain sealed the win with a single, as Oman chased down 14 in just five deliveries to spark celebrations. The result saw Oman improve to 22 points from 18 matches, overtaking Scotland and staying firmly in the qualification hunt. USA remain on 24 points (18 matches), holding second place but will rue a missed opportunity to close the gap on leaders Netherlands, who have 26 from 20 games. Speaking after the match, Oman head coach Duleep Mendis praised his side's composure. 'It was a great game of cricket. The boys showed tremendous heart, especially Jatinder, who was outstanding in both innings.' Jatinder was named Player of the Match — a deserved accolade for a performance that blended grit, flair and leadership. Oman now turn their focus to Canada, their next opponents in Lauderhill on Friday. With momentum on their side, and their skipper in good touch, they will be looking to continue their climb up the League 2 table. Brief scores: Oman 266 all out in 49.4 overs (Jatinder Singh 100, Hassnain Shah 42, Vinayak Shukla 44; Milind Kumar 5/66, Saurabh Netravalkar 3/49) tied with USA 266/9 in 50 overs (Milind Kumar 68, Saiteja Mukkamalla 46, Smit Patel 44; Samay Shrivastava 3/68, Aamir Kaleem 2/31, Shakeel Ahmed 2/38) Super Over: USA: 13/0 (Andries Gous 11*, Harmeet Singh 2*) lost to Oman: 14/0 (Jatinder 13*, Hassnain 1*) — Oman won in 0.5 overs.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aanchal Shrivastava's music show ‘Yatra with Aanchal' comes to Pune
Qawwali has always been a space dominated by men. Even in modern performance circles, it's rare to find a woman leading a full Qawwali set. Aanchal Shrivastava is changing that. On May 24, she will perform her live show 'Yatra with Aanchal' at Monalisa Kalagram in Koregaon Park, Pune. The live acoustic set will feature a mix of Qawwali, Sufi, folk, and original compositions. Shrivastava's journey with music started when she was just two and a half. After noticing how often she banged on plates and spoons at home, her parents enrolled her in a local music class. The class was meant for older children, but her teacher allowed her in. By three and a half, she had already done her first public performance. Most of her early training came from 'gharanas,' not from music schools or formal certification courses. That kind of learning, she says, shaped how she sings today – especially in Qawwali, which demands power and control. For women, performing Qawwali is not easy. But Shrivastava says the deep, open, and full-breath singing Qawwali requires fits naturally with her training. 'When I was younger, I'd tell my dad my throat hurt after singing; I can't reach the correct notes. Guruji would say that if you truly want to sing, you must forget your organs. Sing from your stomach and forget about the pain. That stayed with me. You can sing from your throat for only 15 or 20 minutes. It won't sustain you. Singing from your stomach is the only way,' she explains. Growing up, she was often called the Lata Mangeshkar of the school or the Nightingale of her class. 'It was flattering,' she says. 'But I never really felt I sounded like her. If someone had told me I sounded like Abida Parveen ji, maybe I would've realised that I was meant to make powerful music earlier,' she explains. It took her years to see what direction her voice was taking her. She added, 'Even though I started young, I understood what I was made for only three or four years ago, when I left my job and committed to music full-time.' What made it clear to her was the audience. The response was strong every time she performed Sufi or folk songs, even if people hadn't heard them before. Her original track, Ishq Akela, is now a staple in her live sets. 'People sing along, even if they don't know the song. There's something raw in it. I think I've been blessed with a voice that helps people connect, not just with the music, but with themselves,' she explains. Her contributions to the music reflect that same depth and emotion as her performances. She has sung for Amazon Prime's Four More Shots Please and made her Bollywood debut in Mahesh Bhatt's Love Games. Her songs Kadi Aao Ni and Ishq Akela have made her a known name in India's indie and Sufi music scenes. At the Pune show, she will perform Qawwalis like Chaap Tilak, Tu Mane Ya Na Mane, Asaan Te Tainu Rabb Manneya, Punjabi folk like Nehar Wale Pul Te Bula Ke, and her own original compositions. The music will stay rooted, with harmonium, tabla, dholak, claps, and acoustic guitar, and won't feature any electronic sounds. The evening will open with a performance by poet and Kavita Café founder Garima Mishra. Shrivastava will be joined on stage by guitarist Mahi, who's worked on most of her originals, harmonium player Omkar, known for his work on several Bollywood tracks, and the rest of the band and backing vocalists. She calls this live show 'Yatra with Aanchal' because it's not just about travel; it's about taking the audience through the journey with her. 'This isn't a show where you sit and watch. I want people to sing, clap, and move. I want them to feel like they did when they were kids when they weren't scared to dance or feel something and didn't have boundaries.'
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Nagar Nigam school in Ghaziabad running without govt recognition for 3 yrs
Dressed in white pyjamas, green and white checkered kurtis and white dupattas, with their hair neatly tied in green ribbons, the girls look like the students of any other government school in Ghaziabad. However, there is a difference — they study at Sahid Vijay Singh Pathik Saraswati Vidya Mandir in Bhopura, which has been running without any recognition from the government for over three years now. The two-storey school, which operates from 14 rooms, teaches students from classes 6 to 10. 'I have been trying to get the approval from the government since I was appointed,' said Seema Shrivastava, who was appointed as Principal by the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam in 2022. She added that she has visited the office of the Madhyamik Siksha board in Meerut several times seeking recognition. She further said that the school was earlier attached as a feeder school to a government school in Sahibabad, but it was attached to a government school at Mehrauli in Ghaziabad this year. Shrivastava said the school has 14 teachers, including her, and around 210 students, most of whom belong to the Dalit community. 'We are dependent on other recognised schools for our students to be allowed to appear for Board exams. It is the responsibility of Nagar Nigam to get the recognition,' she added. 'The school also has two security guards, three sevikas (helpers), and two safai karamcharis. All of them have been hired by the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam on a permanent basis,' Shrivastava said. 'All the girls studying here belong to weaker sections,' said a teacher. 'Most of the parents are small-time labourers or work as domestic helps. We depend on NGOs for books and uniforms… Most of the time, it is the teachers who donate clothes and stitch their dresses.' 'While 27 study in Class 6, 56 study in Class 7, 58 in Class 8, 40 in Class 9 and 29 in Class 10. Around 20 students did not appear in school exams this year,' said Shrivastava. Classes in the school began in 2022 with nearly 50 students and three teachers, she said. 'When I applied for the recognition, we did not get it, as we did not fulfill the required standards… The school then had only seven rooms… to get recognition, a school should have at least 14 rooms. We also needed furniture, which was not available back then.' She further said that she was told to adhere to the National Building Code and also that the name of the school should be on 'Khatauni' – a document that carries information related to the land. 'We did not have the name of the school in the Khatauni,' she said. In March, a group of parents of students studying in the school had reached out to the Ghaziabad Parents Association seeking help to get recognition for the school after their children were denied admission in classes 9 and 10. Manoj Kshyap (35), who works as an electrician, said that in March, the school announced that it would not give admission to students in class 9. He then shifted both his daughter and niece to a government in Delhi. 'I earn Rs 7,000 a month… We spend Rs 40 every day on to-and-fro fare. The school fee is Rs 2,100. In the previous school, we used to pay Rs 600. I have to ensure that my three other children also get educated. The school has now refused to enrol them and sent them back. These children are our only hope,' he said. When contacted, Ghaziabad Additional Municipal Commissioner Arun Yadav said the process of granting recognition to the school was taking time because it required students, a good building, and teachers. 'Initially, the land was not in the name of the school, but now we have initiated the process and the land has been registered in the school's name,' he added. Asked if a school built by the Nagar Nigam can run without authorisation, Ghaziabad Mayor Sunita Dayal said, 'At least we built the school. The land was being encroached, and that is why we constructed the building. There are very few schools in the area and there are many children. If we do not get the authorisation, we will shift the students to nearby schools.' Ghaziabad Basic Shikhsha Adhikari O P Yadav said the school never applied for permission to run classes till Class 8. 'Now the entire process is online, but the school has still not applied for permission,' he added. Yadav said three schools in the area are recognised by the BSA. 'These are located at Pappu Colony, Sikanderpur and Tulsi Niketan,' he added. Meanwhile, District Magistrate Deepak Meena said he did not have any information about the school, but had learnt that the approval regarding its recognition was 'pending over some land issue'. 'Now that the matter has come to my notice, I will get it inspected,' he added. Neetika Jha is a trainee reporter with The Indian Express, Delhi. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida and Ghaziabad. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee (cold coffee if it is summer). The Thursday Murder club and Yellow face were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
Al Etihad
11-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
UAE financial inclusion hits new high as 94% residents holding bank accounts
11 May 2025 20:15 KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI)Financial inclusion hit an all-time high in the UAE, with a new survey showing that 94% of residents now hold a personal bank account. The independent poll - commissioned by Daleel, a Middle East-based personalised financial marketplace - comes amid consistent government efforts to streamline transactions and digitalise the findings of the survey, conducted by YouGov, mark a significant rise in bank account participation from 85% in 2021, as recorded by the World Bank's Global Findex Database. This puts the UAE on par with some of the world's most banked nations, including the US."More people than ever before have access to a personal bank account in the UAE, demonstrating the success of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision and UAE Digital Economy Strategy towards digital transformation and financial inclusion," said PK Shrivastava, CEO of the data reflects growing confidence in financial adoption, Shrivastava noted there is still room for improvement when it comes to personalising financial products."We wanted to understand how people use financial services - from initial research into different products, through to the level of confidence in their choices. It is very positive that there is such a high level of financial adoption, while there is still a huge opportunity for more personalised products instead of 'one-size-fits-all' finance," he near-universal banking, the survey revealed a significant confidence gap in how residents view their financial products. While nearly two-thirds of account holders expressed satisfaction with their bank accounts, 76% admitted to lacking confidence in at least one of their other financial products.A majority (65%) of mortgage-holders reported uncertainty over whether they had secured the best available plan. Similarly, 62% of respondents expressed doubts about the suitability of their personal or auto loans, while half of all credit card users said they were unsure if they had chosen the right data also highlighted a gender gap in financial engagement. Women were found to be twice as likely as men to have never reviewed their financial products, suggesting a need for more targeted financial education and advisory services to support informed decision-making across all demographics. Seeking Better Financial Solutions Encouragingly, the survey found that nine out of 10 people said they periodically review or switch their financial products. An equally high number expressed openness to more personalised financial options, moving away from generic, one-size-fits-all offerings. Daleel said this shows that while confidence may be lacking in some areas, consumers are actively seeking better financial nationals were identified as the most financially engaged demographic, with eight out of 10 reviewing their financial products annually, far exceeding other groups Shah, COO at Daleel, emphasised that consumers need clear, jargon-free information to navigate a growing array of financial products."Consumers need the right information presented in a clear manner that cuts through the technical jargon," Shah said. "Financial products do not need to be so complicated or hard to understand. This year, finance in the UAE will embrace greater transparency and personalisation. Consumers will be able to make faster, more informed decisions and ultimately, we will see a rise in confidence in their chosen financial products," she added.
