BUDGET: Between 1 crore INR and 4.99 crore INR (More than USD135,000 but less than USD540,000)
Project Overview
Over the last 3-4 years, Actis has partnered with Ahmedabad University to deliver UC-enabled classrooms, a multipurpose hall with retractable bleachers and a networked audio system for building-wide announcements. This new phase builds on that foundation with two advanced AV environments: a 200-seater auditorium and a 100-seater lecture hall.
The auditorium is one of the first in India’s education sector to offer a fully touchless AV experience. Users can walk in, speak naturally and be heard clearly throughout the room and online, no lapel or handheld mics needed. Ceiling mics, ceiling and line-array speakers and intelligent audio zoning deliver seamless sound across various interaction modes like lectures, panels and audience Q&As. A 2.5mm pixel pitch, 23′ x 12′ active LED video wall creates immersive visuals, while automated PTZ cameras support hybrid sessions.
The 100-seater lecture hall features dual WUXGA 8000 lumens projectors, dual 123″ motorised screens, two ceiling tile microphones, nine in-ceiling speakers, a PTZ camera and an iPad-based control interface, creating a high-performance, user-friendly teaching environment.
At Ahmedabad University, our work has transformed a conventional auditorium into a powerful, inclusive learning space where tech empowers every voice.
What did the client want to achieve?
Ahmedabad University sought to create a future-ready auditorium that could support evolving teaching, learning and collaboration methods. The goal was to deliver a seamless, hands-free user experience that would eliminate the need for complex setups before events, whether for professors delivering lectures, students hosting panel discussions, or hybrid conferences with remote participants.
The client also emphasised the need for high speech intelligibility across the space, including from individuals with soft voices, without the hassle of handheld or lapel microphones. They envisioned a system where the environment itself becomes responsive, automatically adjusting audio and video based on how the space is being used.
They wanted the auditorium to be flexible enough to adapt to different event formats, including traditional speaker sessions, audience-driven interactions and conventional mic-led setups, all while maintaining exceptional clarity and ease of use.
Visually, the university desired a display solution that was immersive and suited for both educational content and media-rich presentations, reinforcing their status as a forward-thinking academic institution.
Scope of work your company was involved in
We led the supply, integration, programming and commissioning of a complete AV ecosystem for the auditorium, encompassing advanced audio capture, intelligent processing and vibrant visual display systems to create a seamless, hands-free user experience.
Our scope included:
Designing a hands-free mic and speaker setup using ceiling tile microphones, line-array speakers and ceiling speakers, synchronised with audio delay to ensure clarity across the hall.
Programming dynamic audio modes that auto-activate mic and speaker zones based on session type.
Deploying a 23’ × 12’ high-resolution LED video wall with support for multiple input formats and crystal-clear visuals from every seat.
Automating PTZ cameras for intelligent speaker tracking and hybrid-ready functionality with remote attendees.
Implementing voice-lift functionality to ensure soft-spoken voices are clearly heard throughout the room.
Configuring stage monitors, front fills, and fallback systems with gooseneck and lapel mics for enhanced speaker support.
Creating intuitive presets for faculty and staff to toggle room modes with a single tap.
Actis also provided detailed room tuning, acoustic calibration and operator training, ensuring the system is high-performance, flexible and easy to use.
What Key Challenges were faced?
The greatest challenge lay in delivering a seamless, hands-free audio experience in a large, acoustically reflective auditorium without compromising clarity, especially during multi-speaker sessions and live Q&As.
Using ceiling microphones with both line-array and ceiling speakers required advanced echo control, feedback suppression and precise sound level calibration across the space. Ceiling mics are prone to picking up ambient noise and reverb, which makes clarity, especially when amplified, technically demanding.
Programming dynamic audio modes for lectures, Q&As and panel discussions without manual switching introduced further complexity. Each mode needed to trigger specific mic and speaker zones based on real-time activity.
A key hurdle was ensuring reliable voice-lift, even for soft-spoken speakers seated over 6 metres away, while keeping latency and distortion minimal.
On the usability front, all this had to remain invisible to faculty, achieved by simplifying backend complexity into intuitive one-touch presets.
Finally, installing a large-format video wall presented thermal, visual and electrical integration challenges, particularly around consistent visibility, heat dissipation and compatibility with existing infrastructure.
How were those challenges resolved?
We met the challenge with precision design, premium components and expert programming. For hands-free audio, we used zone-based pickup and reinforcement with DSPs managing gain, ambient noise rejection and automatic mic gating.
Beamformed ceiling mics focused on active speech zones, while delay-tuned ceiling and line-array speakers prevented hot spots and feedback. A smart matrix ensured microphones and speakers in the same zone never operated in conflicting configurations, avoiding echoes and phasing.
Event flexibility was achieved via intuitive presets that triggered calibrated combinations of mic groups, speaker zones, PTZ camera focus and lighting, all switchable at the press of a button.
To amplify soft-spoken voices without distortion or lag, we optimised voice-lift and added front fills and stage monitors for presenter comfort.
The video wall’s heat dissipation and visibility were resolved with structural modifications and an optimised layout to ensure full-room visibility.
Finally, rigorous simulation, testing and faculty training ensured a system that was powerful yet user-friendly.
How has your work helped the client
Our AV solution has revolutionised how Ahmedabad University hosts lectures and events. The auditorium is now truly frictionless, where presenters no longer wear lapel mics or adjust sound levels. They walk up, speak naturally, and the system ensures they’re heard clearly throughout the space and online.
This touchless experience has boosted inclusivity and spontaneity. Even soft-spoken voices from the back rows are audible, fostering an equitable, engaging learning environment. With a single button press, faculty can switch between lecture, talk show, or hybrid Q&A modes, allowing seamless event transitions without AV support.
The 23’ x 12’ active LED wall enhances content delivery with vivid, immersive visuals that elevate every presentation. Programming and automation reduce dependency on technical staff, making the space easy to operate and instantly accessible.
Ahmedabad University now has a self-service, marquee venue that reflects its commitment to innovation in education.
What are you most proud of about the project?
We are most proud of pioneering a completely hands-free AV environment in an Indian educational institution, a first of its kind in both scale and execution. By seamlessly integrating ceiling microphones and speakers with a line-array system and achieving real-time, mode-specific audio zoning with impeccable clarity, we pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in an academic auditorium.
The meticulous audio programming that enabled soft-spoken participants to be heard across the space, without wearing a mic, is a technical achievement that exemplifies our team’s commitment to innovation and excellence.
We are also proud that this installation not only meets the client’s present needs but is future-ready, adaptable and straightforward to use. The automation, flexibility and hybrid-readiness of the space have allowed Ahmedabad University to redefine what a modern academic auditorium can be, and Actis is proud to have played a pivotal role in that transformation.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/IjB9V3duRoQ?feature=shared
