In a milestone moment for the future of responsible, human-centred technology, Mr. Lal Chandra (L.C.) Singh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nihilent, Pune, has received the prestigious VASVIK Industrial Research Award (2025) in Information & Communication Technology. The 51st Annual Industrial Research Awards, hosted by Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra (VASVIK) at B. J. Hall, Mumbai, celebrated Indian scientists who have made extraordinary contributions to national prosperity. The ceremony was graced by Chief Guests BK Radhika Didi and Lord Dr. Frank Mentrup, Mayor of Karlsruhe, Germany, alongside distinguished leaders including Dr. Mohan I. Patel and Prof. M. M. Sharma.
This recognition acknowledges Mr. Singh’s sustained intellectual leadership in developing human-centred frameworks across technology and organisational systems. Over the years, he has created proprietary models such as MC³™, a patented change management tool; 14Signals™, a structured framework for evaluating customer perception, experience, and value association; and PROLICY-D™, a design thinking-led holistic product development framework that integrates human-centric principles into the development lifecycle. Building on this foundation of structured, human-centred thinking, his latest breakthrough, Emoscape, has emerged as a defining advancement in medical-grade Emotion AI.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. L.C. Singh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nihilent Ltd., said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the VASVIK Industrial Research Award. This recognition belongs to the entire team at Nihilent, who believed in the vision of Emoscape. Our goal has always been to move beyond data processing and leverage AI to better understand human emotions. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each recipient for their dedication, perseverance and invaluable contributions to the nation. I sincerely thank VASVIK for underscoring the importance of responsible and ethically driven innovation in the ICT sector”.
Emoscape is a medical-grade Emotion AI platform that detects and calibrates emotional states through a precise one-minute scan, analysing subtle upper-body micro-movements using a standard web camera. By translating these micro-movement patterns into a structured emotional profile, Emoscape introduces an objective and measurable layer to understanding emotional dynamics across healthcare, sports, education, insurance, marketing, corporate ecosystems and more.
At its core, Emoscape is grounded in the nine classical emotional archetypes articulated in the Natyashastra—the ancient Indian treatise on human behaviour and performance. Using three-dimensional motion capture techniques and advanced analytical algorithms, it maps fine-grained body dynamics onto this framework with clinical-grade precision, an approach that has been strengthened through recent peer-reviewed academic publication and continued research.
By bringing together classical behavioural insight with modern Emotion AI, Emoscape reflects Nihilent’s broader philosophy of elevating emotion from abstraction to accountability. It envisions a world where emotion is no longer dismissed as subjective, but recognised as a structured force shaping outcomes across industries, institutions, and societies.
Established in 1973, VASVIK is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting excellence in science and technology in India. Over the decades, it has honoured more than 450 Indian scientists whose research and innovation have directly contributed to national prosperity. The awardees are selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by expert committees and the Board of Advisors, ensuring recognition of individuals whose work significantly impacts industrial growth and societal development.
