DST selects IIT Delhi to set up 125 crore S&T infrastructure facility

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 30: IIT Delhi has been selected by an expert committee of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for setting up a shared, professionally managed, Science and Technology infrastructure facility The facility can be readily accessible to academia, start-ups, manufacturing units, industries and R&D labs.

To set up the ‘Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute’ (SATHI), DST will provide Rs 125 Crore, mostly non-recurring grants, to IIT Delhi in the next three financial years starting from 2019-2020.

Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi, while thanking the Department of Science and Technology for showing faith in the capabilities of the institute, said: “IIT Delhi is honoured to shoulder this responsibility for the benefit of the nation. We have an excellent track record of not only setting up high-end research facilities but also in their management and utilization. The facilities being created as part of this activity will be made available to the researchers on a round the clock basis with minimum downtime”.

Prof Rao added, “In addition to the facilities being created as part of SATHI, IIT Delhi has also made a commitment to DST to make available other high-end research facilities available in the institute as part of this project. SATHI is a game-changing proposition from Govt. of India for taking experimental research in the country to the next level and IIT Delhi shall assist DST in all possible ways for the success of this programme.”

The centre has been provided to IIT Delhi in recognition of the outstanding performance of the institute in the area of research and development, managerial/administrative capability, infrastructure availability etc.

The aim behind setting up the facility is to provide professionally managed services with efficiency, accessibility and transparency of the highest order under one roof to service the demands of industry, start-ups and academia.

The facility, to be set up in the Sonepat campus (Haryana) of IIT Delhi, will be equipped with major analytical instrument and advanced manufacturing tools, which are usually not available at institutes/ organizations.

Prof B.R. Mehta, Dean, R&D, IIT Delhi said, “SATHI is much more than a sophisticated equipment centre as IIT Delhi faculty and researchers will assist the students, scientists and entrepreneurs in solving the scientific and technological problems/ difficulties being faced by them.