IIT Madras takes the lead in India's eMobility with 15 govt projects

With the Government of India eyeing a market potential of Rs 20 trillion for electric vehicles by 2030, the country's top brains at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) are chipping in with multiple initiatives, including more than 15 projects that will help the government hasten the transition to eMobility. From zero-emission trucking plans to policy advocacy, the institute is part of various initiatives.

 

These projects, conducted by the Department of Engineering Design for the eMobility ecosystem, span different fronts including developing India-centric technologies, safety enablement, field studies, providing policy inputs to the government, and skilling initiatives.

   

The initiatives of the department make significant contributions towards safety, skilling, outreach, research and advocacy requirements of the country in the eMobility sector. Supporting these initiatives are six state-of-the-art labs established in the Department of Engineering Design to support research, skilling, and project work.

 

Further, the department also collaborates with leading experts and consultants in the eMobility ecosystem to ensure that the academic programmes are constantly evolving and remain relevant to the industry. The department also undertakes science-based research in the area of eMobility, which is a core activity for the faculty.

 

“The Department of Engineering Design at IIT Madras has been working on eMobility-related programmes and projects over the last 24 months. We have a seven-sided approach to eMobility. We are working jointly with not just Indian industry and the Government of India but are now also bringing in international experts,” said C S Shankar Ram, head, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras.

 

The first and core activity, that of producing world-class engineers, is supported through various eMobility courses as well as a dual degree in eMobility. Next comes a set of certification courses and a web-enabled MTech programme for working professionals – including lab sessions.

 

Thirdly, the Department of Engineering Design has set up a Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking – a new and upcoming segment in India – and is actively engaged with various stakeholders across the country, including policy issues with governments, technical matters with industry, and commercial matters with consultants and experts.

 

The fourth stream of work comprises projects being undertaken to help the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu. To support all this, we have the fifth angle – the labs. The last two streams are those related to engagement with the rest of the ecosystem – a usually under-rated aspect – and, at the end of it all, continuing our core activity of science-based research in these areas.

 

“The entire ecosystem is being addressed by IIT Madras and not just the technology or engineering aspects. eMobility, being in the initial stages of market penetration and presence, requires a holistic approach if we need to have a definitive impact,” said Karthick Athmanathan, professor of practice, Department of Engineering Design, who is on a sabbatical from Ashok Leyland.

 

“It is not just about chargers or motors or batteries – and their components and designs – it is also about the process of charging, energy management, policy levers, cost analysis, future trends, etc. And all this needs to be done in the context of Indian conditions. Hence, there is a need to undertake high-quality engineering and application work for social relevance and acceptance or success. We have brought in funding from industry, philanthropy and other channels – the trouble is finding sufficient resources to exploit the opportunities emerging rapidly,” Athmanathan added.

 

“This is just the start – we have a lot more that needs to be done, including faculty development programmes for faculty in other educational institutions, unlocking more resources across the country for skilling, testing and project work, and building a pan-India network with industry, government and academia participation to address the larger goals for the country,” Ram added.