IIT Madras launches 15 centres of excellence with focus on creating top research establishments

CHENNAI: Indian Institute of Technology-Madras on Wednesday launched 15 Centres of Excellence, under the Union government's Institute of Eminence scheme, aimed at empowering higher education institutions to become world-class teaching and research establishments.

The Centres of Excellence, once operational, would be undertaking cutting-edge research to develop next-generation technologies and create a significant impact in domestic and overseas markets, a PIB release said. IIT Madras was selected under the Institute of Eminence in 2019 by the Ministry of Education to empower the higher educational institutions and has established several research initiatives in diverse fields.

Also Read | Sindhu Central University starts from August; IIT Madras, Kanpur directors lead first EC meeting

Under Phase-1, IIT Madras has identified 68 research initiatives across 21 technology clusters in various fields and through an extensive process, IIT Madras shortlisted 15 Centres of Excellence, the release said. The initiative would involve 400 faculty members and foster collaborations that can lead to innovations and advancement in key areas. Commenting on the launch of the Centres of Excellence, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti said: "These centres are predominantly interdisciplinary, involving faculty from more than three departments and working on niche technologies."

"A substantial amount of IoE funding has been invested in the development of research. We had a first set of exploratory research grant through which around 68 projects had been funded. Based on the deliverables of those projects, we shortlisted 15 for which today we are announcing the Centre of Excellence status," he said.

Also Read | JEE Advanced 2023: Cut-offs for IIT Madras; know BTech closing ranks

The Centres of Excellence are dedicated to specific areas of study and are expected to reach the top five in the world in terms of research and innovation. The facilities are intended to serve as hubs attracting talent and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the release said.