BITS Pilani receives USD 1 million to set up CoE for advanced materials research

The Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) has received a one-million-dollar seed funding as a gift from Anurag Jain, who is an alumnus and entrepreneur. This funding will help to establish a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) for advanced materials research and innovation at its Goa campus.

The CoE is named AMRIT - Anurag Jain Materials Research and Innovation. The Centre of Excellence will focus on research, education and innovation in advanced materials. The initiative will also bring in multi-million-dollar investment over several years.

The centre will bring together researchers, students, industry experts, entrepreneurs and academic partners from India and abroad. The CoE will develop new materials and help make research findings into technologies that can be used for commercial purposes.

Speaking about the funding, V Ramgopal Rao, vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani, said, “Too often, promising materials research remains confined to the laboratory. The AMRIT Center will pursue cutting-edge research with a clear path toward practical application, improved manufacturing processes, and commercialization. It will also educate and train hundreds of researchers, engineers, and specialists for careers in academia and industry.”

BITS Pilani’s AMRIT centre on advanced materials

The early-stage research areas will include two-dimensional and functional materials that can be applied in batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, solar energy, hydrogen production, semiconductors, sensors and carbon capture technologies.

The centre of excellence will also work on technology transfer, industry partnerships and intellectual property development. It will support the creation of startups that deal with advanced materials and also collaborate with universities, laboratories and manufacturing companies.

Speaking on India’s potential to develop advanced materials, Anurag Jain said, “Our ambition is for the AMRIT Center to bring these elements together - creating intellectual property, supporting new ventures, and developing technologies that strengthen India’s capabilities while addressing challenges of global importance.”

India is increasing its focus on critical minerals, semiconductor manufacturing and clean energy, and this initiative will support this process. Through AMRIT, BITS Pilani will boost research capabilities in advanced materials and support the development of technologies for large-scale applications.

Arya Kumar, dean of alumni relations at BITS Pilani, said the investment will give students and researchers advanced facilities and opportunities for interdisciplinary research globally. He added that the centre will help create solutions for industry challenges.