IIT-Delhi sets up sponsored research parks for research worth Rs 700cr

New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) is setting up sponsored research parks for various private companies to facilitate collaborative research and development of advanced technology. The institute has received proposals of over Rs 700 crore from various private firms for industry partnership.

Several government institutions have also invested crores for doing collaborative research on a large scale with the IIT-D.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is planning to invest around Rs 500 crore to design and develop defence equipment in collaboration.

At the special parks, which is being set up within the college campus, many big NGOs will also participate to promote industry collaboration.

These parks will be eqipped with modern laboratories and supporting infrastructure to facilitate the research work of more than 100 companies.

According to IIT-D Director V. Ramgopal Rao, several industries have shown interest in conducting sponsored research at the special parks, which have been set up in association with the DRDO, and have also invested in it. The Tata Group has given over Rs 50 crore for conducting research.

The DRDO, which has so far invested Rs 264 crore of the total Rs 500 crore, used to import defence machineries previously. Now they can now develop these state-of-the-art technologies indigenously, he added.

In addition to this, the Indian Navy, Ashoka University, National Law University Delhi (NLUD), Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIITD), Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Visakhapatnam (IIPE) and the Bharat Heavy Electricals have also signed MoUs with IIT-D to establish avenues of engagement with industry, transfer knowledge and create value.

Anant Yardi, an IIT-D alumnus, has contributed $10 million to the institute to support its state-of-the-art laboratories and its newly-established 'School of Artificial Intelligence'. Yardi, who is currently based in the US. was a student of IIT-D in the 60s.

According to Rao, with this type of contribution will assist IIT-D in fostering development of new research each day.