IIT-K emerging as top industrial consultant

After setting standards in the field of engineering, research and technology, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) is fast emerging as one of the choicest industrial consultants for prestigious projects in government and private sectors.

The institute has undertaken to provide technical know-how to a leading private construction house in Mumbai to construct a building, which will give the country its tallest skyscraper on completion. The professors are already providing advice and assistance to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to realise the proposed Indian lunar mission, ‘Chandrayaan’.

The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) has also sought the institute’s help in designing the proposed Trans-Ganga city residential project on the Kanpur-Lucknow highway. The institute is also working on a number of innovative projects with the Indian railways including a proposal to use eco-friendly toilets and remote mapping of exact train positions to make travel safer and more convenient.

The institute’s director, Professor S Dhande, says that in this era of globalisation, consultancy is emerging as one of the most prized and glamourous professions. “Proper consultancy is pivotal for every industry to develop high-quality products at low manufacturing costs,” he added.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) students of the institute will now provide free consultancy services to the local industrialists. Dhande said that a number of ailing industries of the city could be revived by management expertise. “The initiative would also help the students grasp the practical problems faced by the industry and apply the theoretical concepts in real life problems,” adds Dhande.

The institute is also helping the government to develop cost-effective technology and software for aircraft component manufacturing. The project cost is merely Rs 20 lakh while the technology has fetched the Indian government revenue of $7 million by its export to foreign countries. The technology became so popular that foreign companies bought it for a premium.

The institute has also begun a programme to provide research, technology upgrade and impart skills to various small-scale entrepreneurs of the state. Currently, a programme for generating new technologies and upgrading the manufacturing techniques used by brass artisans of Moradabad is being run by the designing department of the institute.

Dhande says that similar projects for the glass industry of Firozabad and Agra will be conducted soon.