IIT Kanpur, SAIL collaborate to address technological challenges in steel industry

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has collaborated with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to strengthen cooperation in research, development, and consultancy. This MoU is intended to promote their collaborative efforts in tackling significant technological challenges in the steel industry.

The agreement was signed between Tarun Gupta, dean, R and D, IIT Kanpur; and Sandip Kumar Kar, executive director, R and D Center for Iron and Steel (RDCIS), SAIL in the presence of Nagendra Nath Sinha, secretary, Ministry of Steel, Govt of India; Manindra Agrawal, director of IIT Kanpur; Amarendu Prakash, Chairman of SAIL; Braj Bhushan, deputy director of IITK; Shalabh, dean of academic affairs, Kantesh Balani, head of materials science and engineering, IITK; and Jayant K Singh, head of chemical engineering, IITK.

Forming section 8 company

At the agreement signing ceremony, Manindra Agrawal, director of IIT Kanpur, expressed excitement about the new partnership with SAIL, highlighting it as a crucial advancement in IIT Kanpur’s industry engagement. He also proposed enhancing their commitment to R&D for technological innovation in the steel industry by forming a Section 8 company with support from the Ministry of Steel. This initiative aims to utilize IIT Kanpur’s expertise in digital technologies, such as modeling and simulation, to tackle significant challenges in the steel sector.

Technological challenges

Nagendra Nath Sinha, secretary of the ministry of steel, Government of India, announced that IIT Kanpur and SAIL have partnered to address technological challenges in steel decarbonization, hydrogen use in DRI production, waste utilization, mineral beneficiation of lean ore, and bulk materials movement. He noted that this partnership is a step toward meeting the future manpower needs of the steel industry. Sinha also emphasized the importance of sharing laboratory facilities available at IITK, RDCIS, and NMDC.

Amarendu Prakash, Chairman of SAIL , said, “I believe that leading institutions like IIT Kanpur play a crucial role in guiding the industry in selecting future technologies. SAIL will be the first customer for products developed by start-ups incubated at IIT Kanpur, and I am confident that this collaboration will be a win-win for both IIT Kanpur and SAIL. It is essential that we focus on projects that deliver early results in a short timeframe.”

Sandip Kumar Kar, executive director of the R and D Center for Iron and Steel (RDCIS) at SAIL, emphasized the need to start specific projects immediately and invited professors to visit RDCIS and SAIL plants to better understand plant operations and the manufacturing environment. Tarun Gupta, dean of R and D at IIT Kanpur, pointed out that plant issues are inherently interdisciplinary and need expertise from various fields. He also mentioned that IIT Kanpur is well-equipped with advanced research facilities and a diverse team of experts to effectively tackle these technological challenges.