Auroville and IIT-M working to fast-track sustainability campus project
The initial focus of the proposed Research and Development facility will be to harness cutting-edge green tech towards developing green energy solutions and electric vehicles, particularly for commercial applications and high-load carriers with long-range capabilities.
A high-level delegation from IIT-Madras (IIT-M) led by its Director V. Kamakoti was in Auroville this week to take the project forward.
The 69th meeting of the Governing Board (GB) of the Auroville Foundation that convened earlier this month had approved the draft MoU for the partnership, also involving the Ministry of Education, in this regard. The Ministry of Education, which has oversight over Auroville, also cleared the proposal to set up the entity on a piece of leased land inside the township.
The IIT-M, with its primary campus at Guindy in Chennai, envisions the proposed facility in the international township as its fourth campus. The premier institution has established two satellite entities — the NTCPWC-Discovery campus in Thaiyur and the international campus at Zanzibar, Tanzania.
In March, Mr. Kamakoti had stated that it was proposed to earmark 20 acres of the sustainability campus to set up a world class zero-emission test track for electric trucks under the roof of a Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking (CoEZET).
While this is in alignment with the broader national policy of guiding the logistics sector (where freight vehicles account for about 45% of transport emission) in transitioning to Zero Emission Technologies, the mandate of the sustainability campus is also to work on projects focused on achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The IIT-M has found a convergence of these missions with Auroville's ideals.
Auroville has also signed a separate MoU to establish an IIT-M research park and a Centrally-supported Innovation Hub in Auroville as a tripartite partnership that involves the Ministry of Education.
'We expect the campus to deliver sustainable solutions that are relevant not just to India but to the world at large,' said Jayanti S. Ravi, Auroville Foundation Secretary, who serves as Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue, Gujarat.
The partnerships harmonise well with one of Auroville's founding purposes at the time it was conceived by The Mother — that of steering the world on to a path of conscious living, she said.
Meanwhile, the IIT-M delegation undertook a site visit to Sedarapet to assess the land earmarked for the campus as part of preparing a Detailed Project Proposal. During feasibility study, the officials outlined the ambitious scope and objectives of the initiative, Auroville said in a press note.
Addressing global supply challenges pertaining to rare-earth shortage through R&D innovations is among the plans.
'The sustainability campus will provide a significant boost to emerging startups from Auroville, Puducherry, and the broader bio-region,' said G. Seetharaman, OSD, Auroville Foundation.
The IIT-M Director noted that the collaboration represented a significant step toward integrating sustainable technology education with community development in the Auroville region.
The proposed campus is designed to serve as a hub for research and development in sustainable technologies while providing educational pathways for local students and supporting the growth of eco-friendly startups in the region. The partnership is also expected to create new opportunities for innovation in sustainability and green technology, Auroville said.
The IIT-M Director, who was accompanied by associates Rajnish Kumar and R.G. Robinson, visited the Matrimandir and the Matrimandir Lake project, and assured Auroville of extending IIT's technical support for the endeavour, the press note said.
Earlier, the IIT-M team was welcomed by an Auroville team that comprised the OSD, Venugopal (Senior Consultant), Sindhuja Jagadeesh, from the Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC), and Antim S from The Admissions and Terminations Scrutinising Committee (ATSC). The visit also featured community interaction, including a presentation of Mr. Kamakoti on 'IIT for Everyone Programme', the note added.
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