RT team
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) and the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster research, development, and consultancy within the steel industry. This agreement is aimed at enhancing their collective efforts to tackle significant technological hurdles in the sector.
Key signatories of the MoU included Prof. Tarun Gupta, IITK’s Dean of R&D, and Mr. Sandip Kumar Kar, Executive Director at SAIL’s R&D Center for Iron & Steel, with several dignitaries present including Shri. Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary of the Ministry of Steel, and Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur.
During the ceremony, Prof. Agrawal expressed enthusiasm about the new venture with SAIL, emphasizing the goal to intensify IIT Kanpur’s industry collaborations and innovation in steel technologies through the establishment of a Section 8 company, supported by the Ministry of Steel. This initiative aims to harness digital technologies for modeling and simulation to meet the industry’s critical challenges.
Shri. Sinha highlighted the collaboration’s focus on addressing issues like steel decarbonization, hydrogen utilization in steel production, and improving material handling and ore beneficiation processes. He also stressed the mutual benefits of sharing laboratory facilities between IITK, SAIL, and other partners.
Mr. Prakash, Chairman of SAIL, pointed out the strategic role of IIT Kanpur in steering the industry towards cutting-edge technologies and promised that SAIL would support innovations from start-ups incubated at IIT Kanpur. He underscored the importance of achieving quick results through focused projects.
Mr. Kar invited IIT Kanpur professors to visit SAIL facilities to better understand the operational and manufacturing challenges, while Prof. Gupta remarked on the interdisciplinary nature of these challenges and IIT Kanpur’s readiness with its advanced facilities and expert team to tackle them.
This partnership marks a pivotal step toward significant technological advancements in the steel industry through joint research and development efforts.
Source: Information and Media Outreach Cell, IIT Kanpur
