Tata Steel signs MoU with IIT Madras to set up research centre

The centre will conduct research to develop advanced materials

Tata Steel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) to set up a research centre in IIT Madras Research Park as part of its long term strategic roadmap in the area of advanced materials.

The Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Center (TSAMRC) will be developing new materials, which are unique combinations of physical and chemical properties that were either absent or difficult to obtain using conventional materials.

Gopichand Katragadda, group chief technology officer, Tata Sons said that the centre is part of the Tata group's effort to advance progress in science and materials into technologies that meet market needs.

IIT Madras and Tata Steel will be working closely together to come up with new materials, which will include graphene, that will have new applications, said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras. "We hope to discover many innovative materials together and hope that in few years TSAMRC will be noticed globally," he added.

Anand Sen, president (Total Quality Management and Steel Business), Tata Steel Limited added that the Centre will initially focus on developing green energy and light weight technologies using carbon- based materials.