Rs 125 crore allotted to IIT-KGP for Centre's SATHI initiative

IIT Kharagpur has been selected for setting up a Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI), a Department of Science and Technology initiative of the Centre, for which Rs 125 crore has been earmarked over a period of three years.

The primary objective of the state-of-the-art, professionally managed science and technology infrastructure facility, will be to extend help to the academic institutes in the neighbouring regions, an IIT KGP statement said here on Tuesday.

Research establishments and industries, particularly start-ups and manufacturing units, will also be able to use the sophisticated instruments in a few select areas.

"IIT Kharagpur will treat the SATHI Centre as its Social Scientific Responsibility (SSR) programme to promote the culture of science-based entrepreneurship and start-ups in the country," Rabibrata Mukherjee of IIT KGP, who is associated with the centre, said.

An amount of Rs 125 crore has been earmarked for the centre which will be given during a period of three financial years, starting from 2019-20.

"We have already identified the requisite physical infrastructure for setting up this facility and we expect to start the activities for the centre soon, officiating Director Prof. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya said.

As per DST mandate, the SATHI Centre will run 24x7 round the year.

At least 70 per cent of instrument use time will be reserved for external users from other academic institutes, national laboratories, start-ups, entrepreneurs and the industry, the statement said.

The facility would involve the highest level of expertise of IIT KGP in several key convergence domains of science and technology such as medical sciences, soft materials, structural and safety engineering, quantum photonics, advanced communication and nano technology.

"We are aiming for the SATHI Centre at IIT Kharagpur towards becoming a national centre of excellence, catering to the scientific need of the country," Mukherjee said.

IIT Delhi has also been chosen for the DST initiative.