Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has joined hands with IIT Indore to undertake joint research and development projects. The engineering and construction company on Saturday said it has signed a deal with IIT Indore in this regard.
The Memorandum of Understanding on these projects was inked by the digital energy solutions wing of the construction conglomerate's power transmission and distribution business. The projects will cover areas under renewable energy management and control software, cloud, edge and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, AI/ML, embedded systems, VLSI circuit, and system design and power electronics.
L&T, in a statement, said the deal will "explore and work on activities through the framework set-up across various avenues of engagement. This initiative will drive industry-academia collaboration to advance research and development in renewable energy integration and control technologies.”
This deal will lead to setting up of L&T's smart grid solution centre of excellence, which will collaborate with IIT Indore's students' learning and experience programme.
Prof Suhas Joshi, Director, IIT Indore, said, “IIT Indore will help in providing key research capabilities, research aspirations through R&D projects, dissertation projects, student projects, incubation projects and so on. We are happy that L&T PT&D has agreed to extend their state-of-the-art Digital Energy Solutions Lab in Chennai and Dallas, USA to IITI students under this program to perform project work and joint research activities.”
T. Madhava Das, Whole-Time Director and Sr Executive Vice President (Utilities) of Larsen & Toubro Ltd, said, "L&T intends to engage with IIT Indore to promote innovation through entrepreneurial learning and incubation of technologies in the field of Digital Energy Solutions. We intend to undertake collaborative research and development projects in areas of common interest, such as Renewable Energy Management and Control Software, Cloud, Edge and Internet of Things (IoT) Technologies, AI/ML, Embedded Systems, VLSI Circuit and System Design & Power Electronics.”
Earlier, IIT Madras teamed up with L&T EduTech, which aims to bridge the gap between the industry and the academia, to upskill engineering and science students in the country through customised programmes.
Earlier this month, S.N. Subrahmanyan, L&T chairman and managing director, in a letter to the company's employees said L&T must be ready for the massive changes across the globe as the conglomerate restructures old businesses like financial services and thermal power plants while embracing new areas like renewable energy and defence. Subrahmanyan succeeded A.M. Naik as chairman and managing director on October 1.
THE WEEK had reported that L&T, which is a major player in solar energy, is planning to invest $4 billion in the green hydrogen sector in three to five years.
