CHENNAI, Feb 26:
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari on Monday laid the foundation stone for setting up a National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT-Madras.
The NTCPWC, supported by the Sagarmala project, would work to modernize India’s ports and fast track waterways and it would be a strategic and innovation -oriented initiative tasked with bringing in cutting-edge technology to India’s ports, waterways and maritime Sector.
The NTCPWC would work as the technology arm of Ministry of Shipping providing the needful technological support to ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and other institutions.
It would focus on technological innovations and evolution of new ideas and breakthroughs for the port, waterways and maritime sector and provide effective solutions to an extensive range of problems being faced in the industry through scientific support and carry out education, applied research and technology transfer.
The inception of NTCPWC was an answer to a key need and signifies a major leap in indigenous and cutting-edge technology support in the port and maritime sector.
IIT-Madras signed a MoA with the Shipping Ministry for setting up the NTCPWC in the presence of Mr Gadkari and Union Minister of State for Transport and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan at an event held at IIT-M.
Being built with a capex of Rs 44.79 crore and Opex of Rs 25.74 crore, the NTCPWC would create capital equipment, capable manpower and build competencies to work on ten major projects for the first three years.
Its thrust areas would be technology development, modelling and software Products, bridge simulator and testing facilities.
Speaking on the occasion, IIT-M Director Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi said the IIT-Madras, besides being at the forefront of research and technology development, also took pride that all its departments were involved in transformational research and activities.
”This new Centre under the aegis of the Department of Ocean Engineering is one such example. It will be set-up at the satellite campus of IIT-M at Thaiyur”, he added.
The NTCPWC was poised to have a wide-ranging impact on India’s maritime sector. It would be a one stop point for major and non-major ports, other Indian and global institution for applied research, indigenous software, technology and patent development from projects were being funded and reduction in safety related incidents through applied research would be done by NTCPWC.
Apart from improvement in the global ranking of IIT-M in port and maritime sector, the NTCPWC would have a state-of-the-art large-scale laboratory testing facility for the maritime sector.
The Nodal Officers for NTCPWC would be Prof V Sundar and Prof K Murali from the Ocean Engineering Department of IIT-Madras. (UNI)
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