IIT Dharwad organised an alumni meet on its new campus in Dharwad on Friday. Several old students attended.
Director Venkappayya Desai addressed the delegates and said that the third generation of IITs will focus on agritech, affordable and clean energy sector for growth.
“IIT Dharwad is the youngest IIT in the country. But we have got off to a good start. In the last seven years, IIT Dharwad has set up a world-class infrastructure, hired the best talent and created the right culture for inclusive growth. It is the future that is exciting us the most,” he said.
The institute has identified agritech and affordable and clean energy in line with sustainable development goals as thrust areas for sustainable growth, after extensive discussions with the local community and industry. It is aligning the curriculum and pedagogy to their needs, he said.
“Dharwad is strategically located in the midst of agricultural and industrial corridors in the region. We are uniquely placed to collaborate with industry and the agriculture sector and offer solutions using technology to solve real-world problems,” he said.
The new 470-acre permanent campus was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March this year. It hosts 1,163 students, including 823 undergraduate students, 211 postgraduate students and 129 Ph.D students. A total of 137 students are from Karnataka. As many as 93 regular faculty members, 15 guest faculty members and 69 non-teaching staff are on the rolls.
Till now, four batches of students have graduated from IIT Dharwad. Of these, 487 undergraduate students and 20 postgraduate students have been placed successfully with leading companies across various sectors in India and abroad.
It now offers seven undergraduates, four BS-MS, two M.Tech and two Executive M.Tech programmes in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) and Electric Vehicle Technology (EVT) along with MS and Ph.D in various areas.
The faculty is trained and experienced, including 12 women, drawn from premier institutions in India and outside.
Registrar S. Basavarajappa and Associate Professor of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Amarnath Hegde have been featured in the Most Influential Scientists list released by Stanford University for 2023.
The campus is eco-friendly and sustainable. It is the first Smart and Green IIT campus in the country. It is self-reliant in energy and water and has zero debris construction method.
It was built at a cost of ₹852 crore. IIT Dharwad has received a 5 Star Master Plan rating under the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council.
