IIT-Gn, SAC of ISRO sign MoU for research collaboration

The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) is teaming up with Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for research collaboration in the areas of electronics, signal and image processing, electro-optical systems modeling.

In this regard, IIT-Gn and SAC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the latter’s campus to promote active collaboration between the two institutes.  Under the MoU, IIT-Gn students will undertake research internships at SAC on joint research projects of common interest to IIT-Gn and SAC. In turn, IIT-Gn will host scientists from SAC who wish to engage in teaching and research, and those interested in pursuing a higher degree. Moreover, as a part of signing the MoU, a delegation of IIT-Gn faculty members visited various facilities at SAC and interacted with their scientists.

Signing the MoU, IIT-Gn director Sudhir Jain and SAC director AS Kiran Kumar, emphasised that the collaboration will allow both the institutes to explore opportunities and result in significant research output in areas of electronics, signal and image processing, among others.

“This is a partnership between two prestigious national institutes, SAC with the IIT-Gn, which is a host to highly energetic and motivated young students. This partnership will be thus mutually beneficial considering that both institutes are involved with development of complex state of the art technologies,” said Jain.

Jain added that the exposure of young minds during internships to interesting projects and state-of-the-art facilities early on will motivate them to take up even bigger challenges in the field of aerospace research. Some of the IIT-Gn students who already working as interns at SAC presented their project highlights in the meeting.

The students are working on projects such as electronics, control system for navigation and modeling under various senior scientists. Sensor Development Area Deputy director Saji A Kuriakose stressed upon the development of a miniature airborne platform, which will find significant use in local remote sensing.

Apart from SAC, IIT-Gn has ongoing MoUs with several companies, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), The Ricoh Company Ltd and Nielsen LLC. The institute recently held a one-day Industry Partnership Retreat aimed at developing a road map for engaging with industry in an effective and sustainable manner.