Even as institutes across the country rue
that the contribution of Indian industry to
research and development continues to be
much less than what is desired, IIT Bombay
has seen a 52 per cent hike in funding from
industry in 2012-13 as compared to the
previous academic year. Figures released
during the 51st convocation ceremony of
the institute Saturday show that IIT
Bombay received grants of Rs 293.5 crore
in 2012-13 for various projects from
diverse sectors such as steel, construction,
banking, information technology,
telecommunication and automobile. Of
this, Rs 41 crore came from industry, a
significant jump from the Rs 18.33 crore
that it got from the industrial sector in
2011-12.
The growing interest from industry is
attributed to R&D projects by IIT students
in areas such as solar energy,
nanotechnology, aerospace innovation and
educational technology. This year, a major
portion of funding for projects which
typically ranges from two to five years, has
come from the government (83 per cent)
and industry (13 per cent).
While the country’s annual research
funding is much less compared to that of
China and the US, the funding for R&D
activities by IIT Bombay has seen over 200
per cent growth in the past six years.
Overall too, there has been an over 50 per
cent increase in grants received in 2012-13
as compared to 2011-12. In 2011-12, Rs
189.9 crore in grants was received by IIT-B
for research projects and consultancy.
IIT-B director Prof Devang Khakhar said,
“Among 15 IITs in the country, 67 of the
top 100 rankers in JEE 2013 have joined IIT
Bombay. Eight of the top 10 All-India JEE
rank holders have also chosen to join this
institute. Research and development
activity at IIT Bombay is also growing
rapidly. During 2012-13, research and
development receipts grew by 54 per cent
compared to the previous year.”
Academics termed the overall trend
promising. A similar growth is also seen in
patenting and publications at IIT Bombay.
As per the 2010-11 annual report of the
Controller General of Patents, Designs &
Trade Marks, the institute is one of the top
five entities filing Indian patent
applications in the field of information
technology. In 2012-13, 70 patents were
filed in India, two in trademarks and
design and one in copyright.
The convocation ceremony saw 46 medals
being awarded to students from various
categories. The President of India medal
went to Chordia Sagar of department of
computer science and engineering being
awarded the President of India Medal. A
total of 2,044 degrees, of which 175 were
Ph.D, were awarded to the students.
In his address, S Ramadorai, chairman of
National Skill Development Agency and
vice-chairman, Tata Consultancy Services
(TCS), said, “When the results of IIT’s
efforts are seen on the streets of a city,
touching the life of an average citizen, it’s
truly innovation at its best. The system to
tackle road traffic congestion in Mumbai
for me is a satisfying and pleasing sight,
indicating IITs’ commitment to a common
good.”
The seven IITs in the country, along with
TCS and the National Association of
Software and Services Companies, plan to
launch Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs) in both rural and urban areas to
generate around 150,000 jobs
every year.
Ramadorai said, “Educational content will
eventually become free, just like mobile
applications. MOOCs could be re-purposed
for a largely semi-literate population. I
believe open online courses have a great
potential to move beyond higher education,
into the area of vocational skills and
education.”
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