IIT Ropar marks 18th foundation day, unveils tech and entrepreneurial initiatives

Patiala: The Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) celebrated its 18th Foundation Day on Tuesday, unveiling new academic, technological and entrepreneurial initiatives under the theme ‘Accelerating R&D, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in the Country'.The chief guest, Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria, said, "Institutions like IIT Ropar are the engines of a self-reliant India. The quality of research, the spirit of entrepreneurship, and the dedication of the faculty and students here are a testament to what Indian higher education can achieve."IIT Ropar director Prof Rajeev Ahuja delivered the welcome address and said, "From a young institution founded on the banks of the Satluj in 2008, IIT Ropar has grown into a research intensive university of national consequence. Today, our faculty and students are publishing high impact research, filing patents and building startups that solve real problems for real people. Our ambition is to be among India's most consequential institutions in research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and to ensure that the fruits of our work reach society, industry and the nation at large."The event also featured an address by Prof M K Surappa, founding director (former), IIT Ropar and former vice-chancellor of Anna University, who reflected on the institute's journey since its founding and expressed confidence in its trajectory towards research leadership. The vote of thanks was delivered by Pushpendra P Singh, dean of Corporate Alumni Placement and Strategy (CAPS) and project director, ANNAM AI.Among the flagship launches, the institute unveiled Indus HPC, a high-performance computing facility expected to accelerate computational research across engineering, life sciences, climate modelling and artificial intelligence, and position IIT Ropar among a select group of Indian technical institutes with dedicated HPC infrastructure.IIT Ropar also unveiled Shaurya Sthal, a commemorative space to honour the Nation's armed forces and celebrate the patriotic ethos linked to the institute's identity, given its location in Punjab.The institute launched Nalanda chatboat, an AI-powered chatbot developed in-house to serve as an interface for academic and administrative queries. Alongside chatboat, a Publications Dashboard and a Digital Archive were unveiled to provide stakeholders access to the institute's research output.IIT Ropar announced formal investment commitments from partners towards its Research and Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF), signalling growing confidence from the private sector in the institute's research capabilities and commercialisation potential.The Foundation Day included a faculty and staff awards ceremony to recognise contributions across the institute.IIT Ropar launched its Student Entrepreneurship Support Programme and disbursed seed grants of Rs 1,00,000 each to six student-led start-up teams, with ventures spanning a range of sectors.IIT Ropar was established in 2008 on the banks of Satluj in Rupnagar (Ropar), Punjab. The institute is set on a 525-acre eco-friendly campus with laboratories, research centres, academic blocks, digital libraries and sports facilities, and offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across engineering, science and humanities. Its BTech disciplines include computer science, electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering.MSID:: 128782726 413 |