Hyundai Group Partners Three IITs for Battery-Tech, Electrification Research, Investing $7 Mn

• Hyundai Motor Group partners with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to establish a collaborative research system in batteries and electrification
• Group plans to invest around USD 7 million over five years, starting in 2025, to jointly conduct battery and electrification-related research with the IIT universities
• The Hyundai CoE to facilitate technical and human exchanges between battery and electrification experts from Korea and India, fostering talent and promoting long-term employment

Hyundai Motor Group, on Tuesday, announced partnerships with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to establish a collaborative research system in the fields of batteries and electrification. The three institutes include IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Madras.

Hyundai Motor Group Partners with Indian Institutes of Technology to Advance Battery and Electrification Research

Investment:

USD 7 million over five years (2025-2029) to support various research activities.

Hyundai Center of Excellence (COE):

• Location: IIT Delhi
• Objective: To drive advancements in batteries and electrification, specifically tailored to meet the unique requirements of the Indian market.
• Activities: Conducting joint research, facilitating technical and human exchanges between Korean and Indian experts, and fostering talent development.

Collaboration Areas:

• Battery Technology: Researching and developing advanced battery solutions.
• Electrification: Innovating in electrification technologies.
• Software Development: Enhancing software for electric vehicles (EVs)
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Exploring hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

Impact:

• EV Ecosystem: Contributing to the establishment of an EV ecosystem in India, in line with government policies for expanding EV distribution.
• Academic-Industrial Cooperation: Promoting collaboration between academia and industry to drive innovation and growth.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to contribute to the establishment of an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in India. This will be done in conjunction with various policies for expanding EV distribution, implemented by the Indian government. The collaboration will involve the Centre for Automotive Research and Tribology (CART), the only EV-related research institute in India, located within IIT Delhi.

The Hyundai CoE will not only conduct joint research on academic-industrial cooperation tasks but also facilitate technical and human exchanges between battery and electrification experts from Korea and India. This will involve technical exchange meetings, special IIT lectures by Group battery and electrification experts, and operation of Korean visit training programs. The Group plans to continue efforts for, fostering talent and mid- to long-term employment.

This partnership aligns with Hyundai Motor Group's efforts to expand its presence in India and support the country's transition to sustainable mobility solutions.

IIT Delhi Inks MoU To Setup Its 1st Campus in Abu Dhabi

IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi will set a brand new template for leveraging the power of knowledge and unfolding a new chapter in internationalisation of India’s education - Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Leveraging UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) the two nations expand their relationship into domains of higher education and research

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Education and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to establish 1st campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi.

The signing took place in the presence of HE Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. The MoU was signed by HE Mubarak Hamad Al Mheiri, ADEK Under Secretary, Shri Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE and Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

To recall, in late last month the Foreign Ministry of India had announced the first campus of any IITs outside India, wherein IIT Madras campus will be opened in Zanzibar, in East African country Tanzania.

Complementing the ongoing UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the MoU reflects the shared vision of both nations to prioritize educational excellence, innovation, knowledge exchange, and investments in human capital as the foundations for future prosperity and enablers of long-term economic growth and sustainable development.

Expressing his happiness via Social Media, on the signing of MoU, Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that the MoU for establishment of IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi in the presence of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unfolds a new chapter in internationalization of India’s education. An example of New India’s innovation and expertise, the IIT Delhi campus in UAE will be an edifice of India-UAE friendship.

He further said that IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi will set a brand new template for leveraging the power of knowledge for both mutual prosperity and global good. It also unfolds a new chapter in internationalisation of India’s education, he added.

Her Excellency Ms Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, Chairman of the Federal Agency of Early Education, and Chairman of ADEK, commented on how the MoU represents an important step in Abu Dhabi's commitment to accelerate a world-class education system that serves the national development goals and priorities. The execution of this MoU marks a milestone in our plans towards actualizing a globally competitive education ecosystem. In line with our national strategy, this MoU reflects our commitment to providing world-class educational experiences. We anticipate that the IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi partnership will support our transition towards fostering an environment that nurtures innovation and accelerates high-level research, stated HE Ms Sara Musallam.

IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi will complement the academic, research and innovation ecosystem in Abu Dhabi through collaboration with key players such as Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Technology Innovation Institute, and Hub71 to offer complimentary programs, conduct cutting edge research, and advance the local startup ecosystem.

The IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi campus is expected to launch its academic programs in 2024 and a host of bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. programs, and operate research centers related to sustainable energy and climate studies, as well as computing and data sciences. IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi is expected to offer a diverse range of programs covering Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Computing and other disciplines of engineering, sciences, and humanities.

IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi graduates will join an illustrious alumni network of graduates from 23 campuses across India. With outstanding credentials, IIT Delhi recently ranked among the world’s top 50 institutions for engineering and technology. It also scored a top 30 rank for global employability in the 2022 QS World University Rankings. IIT Delhi has been a frontline contributor to India's R&D ecosystem in sectors ranging from defense, healthcare, and rural development, to transportation, IT, and software.

IITs Goes Global, 1st IIT Outside India in East Africa

India's premier technology Institute, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), is now going global. The Foreign Ministry has announced today that the first campus of IIT outside India will be opened in Zanzibar, East African country Tanzania.

For the same, Foreign Minister S. Jayashankar, who is currently on a tour of Tanzania, and Zanzibar President Hussain Ali Mwynayi on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) .

The MoU for setting up a campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar was signed between the Ministry of Education, Government of India, IIT Madras and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training Zanzibar, Tanzania on July 5 2023, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

This pioneering partnership will pave the way for the establishment of an IIT Madras Campus in Tanzania, opening up exciting avenues for knowledge exchange and empowering students in both nations.#IITsGoGlobal

— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) July 6, 2023

The MEA has also cited the National Education Policy of the year 2020 in its statement wherein Govt encourages high-performing Indian universities to start their campuses in other countries.

Witnessed the signing of the agreement on setting up of @iitmadras Zanzibar campus.

Appreciate President @DrHmwinyi gracing the occasion, as also the presence of his Ministers.

This historic step reflects India’s commitment to the Global South. pic.twitter.com/X3vdnICnSE

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 5, 2023

With a batch of 50 undergraduate students and 20 master's students, IIT is opening its first-ever overseas campus in Tanzania's Zanzibar in October 2023. The new IIT campus will be set up under the name "IIT Madras at Zanzibar". Zanzibar will be one of three campuses outside of India, with the others located in Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur.

The Programs will commence from October 2023. IIT Madras will manage Student selection, pedagogy and conferring of Degrees.

The Collaboration is to boost diplomatic relations between India and Tanzania. 

IIT Hyderabad Inks MoU with 9 NITs To Strengthen Them

IIT Hyderabad offers to strengthen NITs

• IITH has signed MoU with nine NITs for Faculty-Students Exchange that will offer the following benefits:
• Faculty of these NITs can visit IITH to collaborate with the faculty of IITH.
• Students exchange has the following fantastic benefits:
• Selected Final year BTech students with more than 8.5 CGPA will spend their 4th year at IITH.
• Interested students having a CGPA higher than 8 at the end of their BTech will be allowed direct PhD admission at IITH without any selection process.

IIT Hyderabad (IITH) has Innovation in its DNA. Every endeavour at IITH drives towards this motto. BUILD (Bold & Unique Ideas Leading to Development) Program that nurtures IITH Students, a Semester-long Internship for UGs & a 1-year Industry oriented Project for PGs and SURE Internships are all intended to develop ‘Innovation Quotient’ among UG/PG students, not only at IITH but across the country. IITH’s collaboration with NITs intends to usher the amazing talented youth from the NITs to develop enthusiasm towards Innovation and Invention in Technology for Humanity (IITH).

While elaborating on his strategy behind this alliance, Prof B S Murty, Director, IITH, said, “IITH is one of the fastest evolving academic institutes with a strong focus on Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship as we want Innovation as a magic wand to let our dynamic youth to be Job-Providers instead of a Job-Seekers. It is also important to nurture research interest among UG students for India not only to be “AtmaNirbhar” but also a global leader in innovation and technology development. I am confident this move will be a significant mark towards the above goal.

Emphasizing Academic Aspects, Prof Saptarshi Majumdar, Dean (Academics) IITH, said, "The collaboration between IITH and NIT has a long-term vision to strengthen the tech education ecosystem. Not only it connects the NIT students with the IITH PhD program, but also it nourishes the academic exchanges between two nationally important institutions. We @IITH sincerely believe that such an initiative will add value in NEP implementation, skill development and research excellence in the days to come.”

Stating this initiative as a significant step towards fostering Research Ecosystem, Prof Chandrashekhar Sharma, Dean (Sponsored Research & Consultancy), IITH, said, “The close cooperation between the IITs and NITs is very crucial to address the global challenges by strengthening the PhD programs. IIT Hyderabad has taken an excellent initiative by connecting with various NITs to give early exposure to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and make them aware of some cutting-edge research going on at IITH. This will motivate them to pursue research as their career, hopefully.”

The Nine NITs include:

1. NIT Sikkim
2. NIT Silchar
3. NIT Agartala
4. NIT Nagaland
5. NIT Meghalaya
6. NIT Srinagar
7. NIT Calicut
8. VNIT Nagpur
9. NIT Rourkela

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) is one of the eight IITs established by the Government of India in 2008. In a short span of 15 years, the institute has become a one of the top ranked institutions in the country and has received global recognition. It has 300+ full-time faculty, ~4,200 students, 18 Departments + 1 Centre for Interdisciplinary Programs, nearly 500+ state-of-the-art Research Facilities, and five research and entrepreneurship centres. The institute has a strong research focus with approx. Rs ~880 crores of sanctioned research funding, with PG+PhD students accounting for about 60% of total student strength. IITH has more than 8700+ research publications with 1,30,000+ Citations, 190+ Published Patents, 2,200+ sponsored/consultancy projects with 500+ running projects, and about 130+ startups that have generated 1000+ jobs and a revenue of Rs. 1200+ Cr. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Koo and YouTube for the latest updates. To know more, please visit https://www.iith.ac.in/.

AIIMS-Delhi To Collab with IITs/IIMs and Introduce Startup Policy for Medical Students

In a what can be seen as big overhaul of 70-odd year old public medical research university and hospital, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi is introducing startup policy for medical students in collaboration with country's premier technical & management —IITs & IIMs — institutes, as well as corporates.

Citing AIIMS officials, A Times of India report said that collaborations are being planned with institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, and Indian School of Business (ISB) for making intersectional learning more accessible and with corporations like McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain to provide students with exposure to the world of management.

The ‘Start-Up policy’ for students is also intended to be drafted,” reads a statement reported by ANI.

The upcoming startup policy will help the the institute's students gain knowledge in other sectors, like management and finance, which is essential if one decides to start their chamber or centre. It has been introduced to promote entrepreneurship among medical students. "This will help them in their career growth,” said the AIIMS faculty member, adding that if they plan to open nursing homes in future, they would not have to struggle with general issues needed to start the venture.

The initiative would help the medical students gain knowledge outside the routine medical education, patient care and research.

All the 23 IITs to Come Together for A Mega R&D Show Named IInvenTiv

IInvenTiv, the first mega Research & Development Fair of all the 23 IITs to be held from October 14-15, 2022

• The inaugural session will be graced by Hon’ble Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
• The 2-day event will bring students, researchers, academicians, industry representatives closer and will explore collaborative opportunities
• A total of 75 projects by the 23 IITs have been selected to mark the 75th year of India’s Independence

For the first time, all the 23 IITs of the country will come together for a mega Research & Development Fair to be held from October 14-15, 2022 at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi premises. The inaugural session will be graced by Hon’ble Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. A Steering Committee headed by Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, BoG IIT Madras and Dr. BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman, BoG IIT Hyderabad and IIT Roorkee; has been assigned to look after the event. Named IInvenTiv, the event is aimed at creating holistic awareness around the research and innovation work being done by the IITs and seeking collaborative avenues among state universities and institutes, industry, and the IITs for better development and reach of the innovations at the grass roots level.

The R&D Fair is being organized in commemoration of the 75th year of India’s Independence in line with the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative. It will showcase projects on diverse areas covering climate change, sustainability, smart city architecture, rural agriculture, affordable healthcare, drone technology, and so on. The objective is to promote innovations in line with the Make in India, and Digital India initiatives, and seek solutions for better reach and scalability of innovations that benefit the masses across regions.

The event would also host administrators and students from institutions from tier 2 and tier 3 cities for them to have a closer glimpse of the R&D ecosystem of IITs and in turn inculcate similar innovation-driven outlook towards developing projects of national interest. It would facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the requirements at the grass roots level in key areas such as agriculture, rural development, sanitation, resource management etc., and would engage them to develop innovations that make a positive impact on a larger section of society.

Commenting on the prospect of the event, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, BoG IIT Madras commented, “As India is taking strides to scale new heights in research & innovations, the IITs are at the forefront supporting the nation in attaining self-reliance across sectors. IInvenTiv aims to bring focus to key innovations from all the 23 IITs so that awareness regarding R&D at the IITs increases. This would help develop more affordable technologies for the benefit of all. We are expecting active participation from industry, academic and R&D institutions, as well as government to seek more collaborative and multidisciplinary avenues for furthering the vision of ''Make in India" and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

Prof. B S Murty (Director IIT Hyderabad)

 Dr. BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman, BoG IIT Hyderabad and IIT Roorkee said, ‘’The IITs have been consistently contributing towards nation-building. In today’s time, when multi-disciplinary research leading to cutting edge innovations are taking centre stage, it is important that the research and development done at the IITs is exhibited and presented to the industry and policy makers for meaningful outcomes that benefit the society. With this Fair, we bring the key stakeholders from industry, government institutions, and academia closer to collaborate for building an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. The Fair provides an opportunity to learn, exchange ideas and innovate for accelerating country's progress in the ‘Amrit kaal’.”

Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said, “IITs have been working relentlessly for the past decades towards enriching the research and development pool of the country. Right from making breakthrough discoveries to developing grass roots innovations, IITs have stood the test of time in supporting the nation for a holistic growth. This R&D Fair is envisioned to enhance the public perception of the IIT ecosystem and to look for potential collaborative avenues among key stakeholders.”

There are ten broad themes identified in focused areas for the event:

1. Defence and aerospace
2. Healthcare (including devices and digital health)
3. Environment and Sustainability (including air, water, rivers)
4. Clean Energy & Renewables (including Hydrogen and EV)
5. Manufacturing (including smart, advanced and industry 4.0)
6. AI/ML/Blockchain technologies (including quantum computing)
7. Smart Cities & Infrastructure (including smart mobility)
8. Communication Technologies (including education and 5G)
9. Robotics, Sensors & Actuators
10. Semiconductors, Flexible electronics & Nanotechnology

A total of 75 projects brought out by 23 IITs are selected for the event, along with 6 showcase projects. Out of the 6 showcase projects, IIT Kanpur will lead a presentation on the ongoing R&D in drone technology and how diverse its utilities have become; IIT Bombay will lead a presentation on the Bahubhaashak project, which enables speech-to-speech translation, NPTEL, SWAYAM, MOOCs videos in vernacular languages, in-line with the vision of National Education Policy 2020; IIT Madras will lead a presentation on 5G Core and allied technologies; IIT Delhi will lead a presentation on the R&D in the broader areas of climate change, agriculture, rural technologies, sanitation etc; IIT Kharagpur will lead a presentation on affordable healthcare devices and technologies; and IIT Hyderabad will lead a presentation on the technological innovations in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

The selected projects will be presented before the audience in designated booths during the 2-day mega event. Representatives from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), will be present at the event. The audience shall also include administrators and students from universities and colleges from small towns, global IIT alumni, faculties of various CFTIs, scientists from DRDO, ISRO, CSIR and ICAR, and so on.

The 2-day event will hold interactive as well as one-to-one sessions among the academia and industry representatives. Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, BoG IIT Madras; Dr. BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman, BoG IIT Hyderabad and IIT Roorkee; Dr. K. Radhakrishan, Chairman, Standing Committee for IIT Council and BoG IIT Kanpur; and all the Directors of the IITs will be present among the other invitees.

About IInvenTiv:

In its first year, IInvenTiv is an R&D Fair organized under the supervision of a Steering Committee headed by Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, BoG IIT Madras; Dr. BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman, BoG IIT Hyderabad and IIT Roorkee. The event marks the coming together of all the 23 IITs under one umbrella to showcase their respective research and innovation expertise to create more awareness around them. The mega R&D showcase commemorates the 75 years of India’s Independence as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, and is aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, and Digital India initiatives. This Fair is also aimed to be an annual affair to seek out collaborations among the state institutions, industries and the higher academia for futuristic research and innovations.

IIT Chennai to Develop Indigenous 'Made In India' Software Solutions for Sea Traffic Services

• Shri Mansukh Mandaviya launches “Development of Indigenous Software solution for VTS and VTMS”
• VTS/ VTMS is a software for determining vessel positions, position of other traffic or meteorological hazard warnings and extensively manages the traffic within a port or waterway
• 'Made In India' VTS and VTMS software to pave the way for ‘Make for the world’ vessel traffic management systems: Shri Mansukh Mandaviya
• Rs. 10 Crore sanctioned to IIT, Chennai for the development of indigenous software solutions

Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Shri Mansukh Mandaviya e-launched the development of Indigenous Software solution for Vessel traffic services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS) in New Delhi today

In the inaugural address, Shri Mandaviya put emphasis on the development of indigenous system as per the requirement of the country instead of relying high costing foreign made software solutions for Traffic Managements of the Indian Ports.

Shri Mandaviya said that aligning with the vision of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ of Prime Minster Shri Narendra Modi, ‘Made In India’ VTS and VTMS software will pave the way for ‘Make for the world’ vessel traffic management systems.

VTS and VTMS is a software which determines vessel positions, position of other traffic or meteorological hazard warnings and extensive management of traffic within a port or waterway. Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) contribute to safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation and protection of the marine environment, adjacent shore areas, work sites and offshore installations from possible adverse effects of maritime traffic. Vessels Traffic Management Systems are installed in some of the busiest waters in the world, and are making valuable contribution to safer navigation, more efficient traffic flow, and protection of the environment. Traffic flow in busy approach routes, access channels, and harbours can be coordinated safely, in the best interest of port and its users. Incidents and emergency situations can be dealt with quickly. Data from traffic movements can be stored and used as reference information for port administration, port authorities, coastguards and search and rescue services.

VTMS is mandatory under IMO Convention SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). The VTMS traffic image is compiled and collected by means of advanced sensors such as radar, AIS, direction finding, CCTV and VHF or other co-operative systems and services. A modern VTMS integrates all of the information into a single operator working environment for ease of use and in order to allow for effective traffic organization and communication.

Presently, India has approximately 15 VTS systems operational along the Indian Coast and there is no uniformity of VTS software as each system has its own VTS software. With the indigenous software development in progress the recent positive cooperation with office of Director General of Light and Lighthouses (DGLL) on joint development of the indigenous VTMS software development as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative will strengthen the cooperation in this area. At the same time, it will benefit the port sector, both in India and region. It is expected that a prototype system will be developed in Ten-month time for testing and to operate as a parallel system until it is robust for day to day operations.

Development of the indigenous VTS software will reduce the expenditure of foreign exchange on this issue and also minimize the dependence on foreign support for VTS software. Accordingly, indigenous development of VTS software will benefit with respect to:

1. Saving of foreign exchange for various VTSs in India.
2. VTS Software can be provided to Indian trade friendly nations viz. Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Gulf countries. 
3. Will also minimize the cost for future upgradations of software. 
4. Shall be easier to interconnect with MIS/ERP softwares of ports. 
5. Availability of Indian VTS software shall make Indian companies to be competitive commercially in global bids. 

Implementation of National Maritime Domain Awareness programme of Indian Navy and NCVTS by DGLL – a real time, interactive aids to navigation system for coastal shipping shall become feasible with Indian VTS software at low cost.

Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned an amount of Rs. 10 Crore to IIT, Chennai for development of indigenous VTS software.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Shipping, Chairpersons of the Major Ports and representative of IIT, Chennai were also present through virtual means during the event.