11 months ago
HBTU & IIT Alumni Council Partner for Novel Materials Leadership
HBTU, a very old engineering school, is teaming up with the IIT Alumni Council and companies like ACME to become a top school for new materials.
They're building a big research center near an airport to study things like better solar panels and batteries.
They will also work with companies to help students do research and get jobs.
The goal is to make India a world leader in this field and help students learn new things.
This new plan will help them move up the rankings and improve the university’s reputation.
HBTU and the IIT Alumni Council are collaborating to make India a global leader in novel materials.
HBTU has been selected as the academic partner for the Novel Materials Research Centre (NMRC).
The NMRC will focus on research for solar cells, batteries, and catalysts.
HBTU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ACME Group for industry-integrated research.
The initiative includes a strategic plan to strengthen industry ties and boost research.
- Who
- HBTU, IIT Alumni Council, ACME Group
- What
- Collaboration to establish India as a hub for novel materials research and development.
- Where
- Near Jewar Airport (NMRC), NCR, India
- When
- September 2025 (Convocation), with a 5-year plan for HBTU.
- Why
- To advance research, industry integration, and position India as a global leader.
Key facts
- University
- Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU)
- Partners
- IIT Alumni Council, ACME Group
- Research Center
- Novel Materials Research Centre (NMRC)
- Location
- Near Jewar Airport, NCR
- Focus
- Novel materials for solar cells, batteries, and catalysts
- Goal
- Position India as a global leader in novel materials
Quotes
Prof. Samsher
Vice Chancellor, HBTU
“We are entering an era of continuous and interactive education. The alumni have to continue being students for life. And our faculty has to learn from them. Education no longer ends with a degree. Faculty have to learn like students whilst they continue to teach. These realities are forcing us to fundamentally change the way we work. We must strengthen our industry linkages and enhance our PhD intake substantially. Industry-sponsored PhDs and startups employing PhD students are key to our transformation. We have to strengthen our linkages with other premier institutions in India as well as overseas.”
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Ravi Sharma
President and Chief Volunteer of the IIT Alumni Council
“As India gears up for leadership in the climate change-induced world order, close co-operation between leading institutes will help accelerate the path to global supremacy.”
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Shri Sahney
Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation and an alumnus of HBTU
“We are in the middle of VUCA – volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The changing geopolitical situation demands appropriate steps to be taken in areas like energy security and self-sufficiency.”
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Shri Jitendra Singh
Vice President of ACME
“This is a trying time for big industry and academic institutions alike. As the world order changes, old leaders could be replaced by unknown startups. The same can happen to academic institutions if they don’t remain relevant. As an alumnus, I am delighted to see the beginning of a radical transformation at HBTU. But this cannot be an effort of only a few. We will require many more industry partners and whole-hearted support from deep-tech literate, deep-pocketed foundations like the IIT Alumni Council. I have had the opportunity of participating in task forces of the IIT Alumni Council as well as research projects of HBTU. I also serve as a Mentor to the Go Power advanced storage system platform, which could disrupt the battery industry globally in the near future. This is a win-win combination which brings together academia, industry, startups, alumni and non-profits.”
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Shri Satish Mehta
Convenor of the IIT Alumni Social Fund and a Chemical Engineer from IIT Bombay
“In my college days, the three colleges I wanted to join were ICT, HBTI or IIT Bombay. I am delighted to see the transformation at HBTU. The NMRC will have our full support – both financially and otherwise. We also hope to onboard around ten more industry partners in the NMRC.”
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Prof. Jyoti Joglekar
Distinguished Fellow of the IIT Alumni Council and Academic Convenor of the IIT Alumni Research Institute
“By increasing research activities and translating research papers and patents to commercial ventures through industry and startups, we see the potential for a substantial upward movement in rankings. The NMRC is an important step in that direction.”
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