Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Durgapur Steel Employee Secures Patent for Seismic Protection Device
Avijit Kumar Chanda works at the Durgapur Steel Plant.
He created a device called the Seismic Protection Unit.
The device is meant to help protect people during strong earthquakes.
He was inspired after seeing the damage caused by the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.
Chanda worked for years to develop and patent his idea.
The Government of India approved his patent on 6 August 2026, according to the article.
His daughter Ankita helped him complete the official paperwork.
He now wants companies to help produce the device for wider use.
Avijit Kumar Chanda of Durgapur Steel Plant received an Indian government patent for his “Seismic Protection Unit.”
The patent certificate was presented at the DIC Conference Hall by Surajit Mishra, Director-in-Charge of Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plants.
Chanda said the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, which killed more than 20,000 people, inspired his effort to develop the device.
The patent was officially approved by the Government of India on 6 August 2026, according to the article.
Chanda is seeking Indian and international corporate partners to turn the design into a mass-produced safety device.
- Who
- Avijit Kumar Chanda, an employee at the Sinter Plant of Durgapur Steel Plant, received the patent.
- What
- He was granted a patent for a life-saving invention called the “Seismic Protection Unit.”
- When
- The patent was approved on 6 August 2026; the certificate ceremony’s date is not specified.
- Where
- The certificate was handed over at the DIC Conference Hall at Durgapur Steel Plant.
- Why
- Chanda was inspired by the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and sought to develop a practical way to protect people during severe earthquakes.
- Inventor
- Avijit Kumar Chanda
- Invention
- Seismic Protection Unit
- Employer
- Durgapur Steel Plant, Steel Authority of India Limited
- Patent authority
- Government of India
- Patent approval date
- 6 August 2026
- Inspiration
- The 26 January 2001 Gujarat earthquake
- Next step
- Seeking Indian and global corporate collaborations for mass production