Visakhapatnam: At 19 years, Alla Ketan Reddy has achieved a milestone that many researchers and academicians aspire to—a global award for his maiden research paper presentation. Competing alongside distinguished scientists and professors from premier institutions, the second-year B.Tech (Electronics and Communication Engineering) student from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, secured the Best Paper Award at the prestigious 4th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference ‘ICORT-2025.’

Held at the Integrated Test Range, a test and evaluation center of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Balasore, Odisha, the three-day conference witnessed the presentation of 90 research papers across 12 sessions by participants from renowned institutions such as DRDO, IITs, and NITs. Ketan Reddy’s paper, titled ‘Reducing Impulse Noise in Audio Signals Using Cascaded Vector Median Filtering,’ stood out among the highly competitive entries.

Reflecting on his unexpected victory, Ketan Reddy admits that presenting his research among eminent scientists was initially daunting. However, his dedication and confidence propelled him to success. “Although I felt nervous competing with established researchers, I presented my work with conviction. The effort and time invested in the research eventually bore fruit,” he shares.

Ketan Reddy’s fascination with research dates to his early years. Passionate about audio signal processing, he has always been intrigued by the role of signals and systems in communication engineering. “Sound signals, though invisible, are crucial in our daily lives. However, they often suffer noise corruption during transmission. My research focused on developing a fast and effective method for de-noising impulse noise in audio signals, which has significant implications for audio processing and sonar systems,” he explains.

Guided by Prof. Praveen Choppala from the Department of ECE, AU, and Lakshmi Krishnan, CEO of Mathrik Data Limited, New Zealand, Ketan Reddy acknowledges their invaluable mentorship in shaping his research. He also expresses gratitude to his parents, Alla Naga Kalyan Reddy and Alla Vijaya, as well as his mentor, Prof. KVVS Reddy, for their unwavering support.

With this remarkable achievement, Ketan Reddy is firmly on the path to realizing his dream of becoming a scientist. His groundbreaking research has not only won him international recognition but also positioned him as an emerging innovator in the field of audio signal processing. As he continues his academic journey, the young researcher remains committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and contributing to advancements in engineering applications.

His triumph at ICORT-2025 inspires aspiring researchers, proving that with perseverance, passion, and the right guidance, even a student’s maiden venture into the world of research can leave a global impact.