Director of IIT Kanpur, Abhay Karandikar, explains how this storied institution keeps ranking among the best engineering schools.
We’re pleased that we came out on top in the Innovation category of the most recent NIRF 2023. This demonstrates the recent rapid expansion of IIT Kanpur’s innovation ecosystem.
How has IIT Kanpur, which has a distinguished history, changed to suit the demands of the twenty-first century? What makes a great engineering institute?
Building an innovative and cutting-edge engineering institute—or any academic institution—requires not just years of combined work from all parties involved, but also a continuous process of responding to quick changes in the area and making a contribution by conducting ground-breaking research.
When it comes to outlook and output, the institute has consistently maintained a lead. When the first IBM 1620 computer was deployed at IIT Kanpur in August 1963, it fundamentally altered computer education and research in the nation. When the first computer course ever at IIT Kanpur began, it signalled the beginning of a new age for India. Since then, we have never looked back and have constantly maintained our leadership position in this field. Our university places a high emphasis on interdisciplinary education, encouraging cross-disciplinary cooperation in the arts, sciences, engineering, and management. This helps our students gain a broader perspective and interdisciplinary problem-solving abilities, all of which are essential in today’s complicated and interconnected world.
Startup Incubation & Innovation Centre, a thriving technological incubator, provides entrepreneurial possibilities in a variety of fields, including cyber security, blockchain, defence, medical technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, clean technology, green technology, agritech, and fintech. We meet the expanding requirements of the present and the future via academics, research, and innovation.
How are engineering colleges preparing for the new challenges at this time given that AI is generating significant disruptions as well as the major layoffs by large firms in the last year or two, and what is the top priority for staff and students at a prestigious institution like IIT Kanpur?
As a higher education institution, we understand how crucial it is to address these issues and adequately prepare both our professors and students.
For students, the focus should be on getting ready for the new paths and opportunities AI will create rather than fixating on any job losses it may bring about. In the future, it will be important to have a well-rounded education that combines technical competence with soft skills, critical thinking, and adaptability.
A number of UG, PG, and eMasters programmes are already actively being offered at IIT Kanpur that directly or indirectly address AI/ML. Students are working on extensive R&D projects with practical applications under the direction of renowned faculty members, ensuring they are prepared for the workforce after graduation.
How can engineering colleges help their students find fulfilling careers that would empower them financially and benefit society?
We at IIT Kanpur have a strong track record for placements, with our students securing substantial local, national, and international possibilities. In addition to the traditional placements, one of our main objectives in recent years has been to encourage graduating students to pursue entrepreneurship so they can become employment creators rather than only job seekers.
We have a policy that supports student entrepreneurship and encourages them to launch enterprises. This policy gives students the choice to engage in entrepreneurial activities with the guidance of a faculty member or an outside mentor through two different channels: (1) enrolling for the semester and choosing to earn “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Credits” (IEC), or (2) taking a semester drop for engaging in entrepreneurial activities (in which case no IECs credit registration is required).
What has been accomplished recently in terms of research, incubation, and startup?
In recent years, IIT Kanpur has advanced significantly in both research and innovation. We’re pleased that we came out on top in the Innovation category of the most recent NIRF 2023. This demonstrates the innovation environment at IIT Kanpur’s recent tremendous rise. Our Startup Incubation & Innovation Centre has grown quickly, fostering companies in some of the most cutting-edge industries, including Fintech, Cleantech, Greentech, Agritech, Blockchain, and Cyber Security.
The development of a reliable management system for protecting intellectual property rights and commercialising technology is one of IIT Kanpur’s major capabilities. We licenced 132 technology to industry partners and filed a record-breaking 109 IPRs in 2022, bringing the total number of IPRs we have filed to date to 960+.
More than 150 incubated startups make up our varied portfolio, which includes developments in social impact, disability aid, medical technology, agritech, sustainability, and several other fields.
In terms of research, our team succeeded in constructing a low-cost ICU ventilator during Covid in just 90 days, which was a mammoth job. Additionally, we worked on the creation of N95 masks, the “Sanjeevani” oxygen concentrator, and numerous other life-saving tools.
By 2030, we want to have accomplished the SDGs. What strategy for sustainability would you recommend as the dean of a prestigious engineering college?
Sustainability is everyone’s obligation as a group. We definitely have a bigger role to play in terms of newer ideas and carrying out sustainability frameworks as higher educational institutions. But I believe we may start on our own campuses before moving on to other places. Making IIT campuses carbon-neutral would be a crucial first step, given they currently span vast landmasses. We are aiming for a net-zero campus in terms of carbon, water, and landfill waste by 2030 under the Chandrakanta Kesavan Centre for Energy Policy and Climate Solutions at IIT Kanpur and with coordinated efforts under the Sustainable Energy Engineering Department. We already have rules for driving in place. Additionally, we are introducing students to a larger community by creating a student-run “sustainability cell” and an Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Student Chapter.
