The VEMA Virtual Experiential Museum on Ajanta was the project of Prof. Sumant Rao. Digital technologies like VR,AR, touchscreen displays, 3D scanning, photogrammetry, multiproject audiovisuals, holography, smart devices, and HMDs offer phenomenal tools, creating the possibility of experiencing any heritage monument offsite. VEMA explores this potential with the Ajanta Caves. Using a tablet, in the Virtual Tourist Zone, one can fly like a bird around a 3D site and explore the caves. In the Art zone, you can learn about Ajanta art by watching the digitally restored Simhala Avadana on the large video wall, iconic images and material culture on the touch-interactive small video walls, and paintings come to life in the AR painting gallery. In the Architecture zone, head-mounted displays transport you to the caves and a holographic display showcases stupas, shrines, pillars etc. The explore zone has large kiosks with which you can explore the site, the caves, and the narrative paintings of Ajanta to a greater depth. The Climate Change Project was another important project of Prof. Sumant Rao. An interactive presentation on global warming for children, with a focus on the Indian context. An interactive presentation on climate change, where the presenter tells of his journey around India to understand the perplexing changes happening there. He is joined by a snow leopard cub from the Himalayas, a coastal village girl from Orissa, an orphan boy from Andhra Pradesh, a sea horse from Lakshadweep and a dog from Mumbai, and they figure out the reasons behind the melting glaciers, rising sea level, roughts, flooding, bleaching of corals and rise of certain diseases—increasing green house gases that each of them experienced. During the telling of the story, the presenter interacts with both his animated friends in the story as well as the young audience, creating a unique and interesting learning experience.

The live virtual convocation for IIT Bombay, organised by Prof. Sumant Rao from IDC IITB, was an innovative solution to conduct the graduation ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involved the recreation of the traditional convocation ceremony in a fully virtual environment, allowing around 2000 students to participate remotely. The ceremony included real-time animations of the avatars, with degrees being conferred in the same manner as in a traditional ceremony. The virtual convocation was a testament to the creative use of technology to maintain the tradition of graduation while adapting to the constraints of the pandemic.