BITS Pilani signed an agreement with the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune, on December 4. The areas of knowledge-sharing activities undertaken include workshops, seminars, and conferences to be conducted on national security fields, according to a statement from BITS Pilani.

The BITS Pilani statement also says that joint research work will be an area of focus for this collaboration. The Center for Research Excellence in National Security (CRENS) established at the BITS Pilani will facilitate the partnership.

Both institutes will also undertake research projects including short-term consultancy assignments to deal with industry issues and long-term initiatives to explore emerging and future areas. The collaborations will include the usage of lab infrastructures, faculty members, and research scholars.

BITS Pilani vice chancellor Ramgopal Rao was critical of the tie-up and stated: “Our partnership with DIAT Pune reflects a shared vision that through research and innovation, we can synergistically elevate the defence capability of India and give a technological push to India. Through CRENS we intend to address the veritable challenges and bring about self-reliance in the strategic sectors.

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BHVS Narayana Murthy, vice chancellor of DIAT Pune, stated: “DIAT Pune focuses on developing India’s technological defence capabilities by focused research, innovation, and skill development. BITS Pilani has always led the way for innovation, and our tie-up with the esteemed university will enable us to share resources and expertise to address many of the problems that are now challenging National Security and facilitate an ecosystem of collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”

Conclusion

The partnership between BITS Pilani and DIAT Pune is a significant step forward in strengthening India’s national security and technological landscape. Through combining research, innovation, and skill development expertise, the two institutions aim to address critical challenges and enhance India’s defence capabilities. Initiatives such as joint research, certificate courses, and resource sharing will foster innovation and self-reliance in this collaboration. This partnership not only shows the importance of academia-industry synergy but also creates a benchmark for strategic collaborations in the building of a technologically robust and secure future for India.

The ISRO would be providing a seed funding of Rs 1.84 Crore towards establishing this centre, say sources from IIT Madras.

Thermal problems regarding design, analysis and testing of various components could be performed by leveraging the expertise of IIT Madras faculty.

The pact was signed in the presence of Project coordinator Prof. Arvind Pattamatta, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, and other stakeholders from IIT Madras and ISRO.

Ø Thermal Management Research Hub: The Centre will serve as a key research hub for ISRO, focusing on spacecraft and launch vehicle thermal management challenges.

Ø Funding: ISRO will provide an initial seed funding Rs. 1.84 crore to establish the Centre and for essential infrastructure and equipment, and additional funding for consumables, maintenance and for future projects in fluid-thermal sciences.

Ø Advanced Research Projects: Projects will cover critical areas, including spacecraft thermal management, combustion instability in hybrid rockets, and cryo-tank thermodynamics.

Ø Industry-Academia Collaboration: The Centre will enhance collaboration between ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty, fostering innovation in fluid and thermal sciences.

Interface

Prof. Arvind Pattamatta, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, this Centre of Excellence will foster a unique industry-academia interface, allowing ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty and students to collaboratively advance research in critical areas of thermal science.

By addressing complex thermal engineering challenges, we aim to contribute significantly to the nation’s space program and strengthen India’s self-reliance in space technologies, said Prof Arvind of IIT Madras.

Knowledge

Having recognized the need to generate basic knowledge through advanced academic research to enable a truly self-reliant and self-generating space programme for the country, ISRO and IIT Madras had set up the ‘ISRO-IIT M Space Technology Cell’ in 1985.

For research

IIT Madras had proposed to establish this Centre of Excellence for research in ‘Fluid and Thermal Sciences’, which will act as a nodal center for spacecraft and launch vehicle-related thermal management research activities of ISRO.

Thermal problems regarding design, analysis and testing of various components could be analysed by leveraging the expertise of faculty.

This proposal was assessed by ISRO and found that the proposed facility can support ISRO’s R&D activities in studies related to spacecraft thermal management, combustion instability in hybrid rockets and cryo-tank thermodynamics studies, among other fields.

Hence, the proposed facility can be utilized for expanding the research activities of Department of Space and ISRO in Fluid and Thermal Sciences.

The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 18 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres.

The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations.

IITM is a residential institute with more than 600 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here.

IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell.

Recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) in 2019, IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’ Category for the sixth consecutive year in India Ranking 2024 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the ‘Engineering Institutions’ category in the same Rankings for nine consecutive years – from 2016 to 2024.

It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education.

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