The first-ever mega Research and Development fair of all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) started today, October 14, at IIT Delhi. The event named IInvenTiv was inaugurated by the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The objective of organising Research and Development fair is to create holistic awareness about the research and innovation work being done by IITs and to explore collaborative avenues between state universities and institutions, industry and IITs for better development.
Addressing the event, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said: "In the present era, IITs are the best temple of our country in terms of education and all other activities. IITs have proved themselves to all the criteria for all the standards of effort. I feel proud when many developing and developed nations approach the Indian government to set up IITs in their countries at their own cost. It is not just the three letters of IIT but the India's collective wisdom in experimenting with IITs is earning global recognition. I congratulate the IIT council for all the activities and for coming up with events regularly." The minister urges higher education institutions (HEIs) and IITs to run 'Skill Development Centre' to enhance skills of their students to get familiar to present technologies and to meet the industry requirements.
The theme of IInvenTiv includes Defence and Aerospace, Healthcare (including devices and digital health), Environment and Sustainability (including air, water and rivers), Clean Energy and Renewables (including Hydrogen and EV), Manufacturing (including smart, advanced and industry 4.0), and AI/ ML/ Blockchain technologies (including quantum computing), among others.
The two-day mega Research and Development fair is being organised to showcase projects in diverse areas covering climate change, sustainability, smart city architecture, rural agriculture, affordable healthcare, drone technology, and more. The event will also host institute administrators and students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. About 75 projects brought out by 23 Indian Institutes of Technology across the country are selected for the event, along with six showcase projects. These projects will be presented before the audience in designated booths during the two-day mega event.