DST sanctioned Rs 7.25 Cr to IIT Mandi, to establish Technology Innovation Hub
IIT Mandi's TIH will focus on human-computer interaction (HCI) research. The projects will mostly study the interaction between humans (users) and entrepreneurship.
As a part of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), the Department of Science and Technology (DST) announced on Wednesday, March 11, that it is has sanctioned Rs 7.25 crore to IIT Mandi, to establish a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at the institute, in Himachal Pradesh.
IIT Mandi will establish a Technology Innovation Hub that will focus on human-computer interaction research
TIH will focus on human-computer interaction (HCI) research. The projects will mostly involve designing and developing computer technology (interfaces), and study the interaction between humans (users) and entrepreneurship, and collaborate with other leading institutes.
Varun Dutt, Principal Investigator, TIH said:
"The TIH provides exciting opportunities for IIT Mandi to become a world leader in HCI and allied areas, where national research has been nascent.”
Varun is also an Associate Professor at the School of Computing and Electrical Engineering, and School of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Mandi.
TIH will be developing tools, education material, hands-on experiments with specialised tool kits, and connect with existing innovation ecosystems. It will inter-link with different stakeholders and connect with other initiatives of the Government of India by providing an innovation platform for schools, colleges and advanced technical training institutes in the targeted areas. The deliverables include — technology, human resource and skill development, international collaboration, and entrepreneurship and startup.
Elevated view of IIT Mandi
The entrepreneurship and startup deliverable will create a startup ecosystem by working with the technology-business incubator of IIT Mandi called Catalyst. Launched in 2016, IIT Mandi's Catalyst is the first Technology Business Incubator in Himachal Pradesh.
Arnav Bhavsar, Co-Principal Investigator, TIH and Associate Professor, School of Computer and Electrical Engineering, IIT Mandi, said in a release:
“In line with the culture at IIT Mandi of collaborative research and nurturing entrepreneurship, the TIH will further enable significant strides by the institute in industry collaboration and in the development of indigenous technology.”
Enabling Women of Kamand Valley (EWOK) is another innovative programme run by IIT Mandi, which focuses on imparting skills training to rural women to enable them to start village-scale businesses.
(Edited by Kanishk Singh)