Gave up UK Russell Group offers, built 3 research projects, still might miss IAT cutoff — what are my options?

I'm an 18-year-old SC candidate from Hamirpur, HP who took a drop year specifically to prepare for IAT/NEST. Here's where things stand:

The UK chapter (yes, really):

During my drop year I applied to UK universities — got shortlisted at Somerville College, Oxford (without PAT, purely on profile), and received conditional offers from Bristol, Liverpool, Queen Mary, and Leicester — all of which I met the conditions for, making them essentially unconditional. Got rejected from Imperial, Edinburgh, Manchester, and UCL only because my Class 12 score was 72%, below their 95% threshold.

Couldn't go due to financial reasons. My family couldn't support it and didn't agree to loans. So, I let those go and refocused on IAT.

Why my Class 12 score is 72%:

Not lack of understanding — I was simultaneously doing research projects. I have 3 research projects, one with a working prototype, which got selected to INSPIRE MANAK (state level) and I've won at RSBVP twice at district and state level through KV Hamirpur. My conceptual grasp is strong; standardized exams are where I struggle.

My actual questions:

1. What's the expected IAT 2026 SC category cutoff? Hearing it might rise this year.

2. Do pre-admission research projects carry any weight at IISc/IISERs/NISER — or does research experience only matter once you're already inside the system?

3. Are there any institutes in India that do holistic/interview-based admissions where a profile like mine (research, INSPIRE, prototypes) would be considered — even occasionally or experimentally?

4. If the answer to Q3 is no — is a second drop year the only realistic path to IISc/IISER, or are there other routes I'm missing?

I'm not looking for sympathy — just honest answers. If I need to drop again and grind pure exam prep, I'll do it. But I want to know if there's a smarter path I'm not seeing.

Oxford shortlist → UK offers → financial barrier → IAT might not clear cutoff → sitting on 3 research projects that India's admission system doesn't seem to care about. What now?