IIT Roorkee playing major role in nation’s startup movement: Singh
PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Haridwar
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee is making a major contribution to India’s startup movement, the Union minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh said. He was speaking at the institute’s convocation on Friday which saw 2,614 students, including 602 receiving various degrees.
Singh said, “With nearly 240 startups associated with you, out of 1.7 lakh across the country, IIT Roorkee is making a huge contribution to India’s startup movement. Your nine centres of excellence, your pioneering work in disaster risk, resilience and sustainability, and your deep engagement with local communities through initiatives like Vibrant Villages make you a true role model of an academic institution. Located in the Himalayas, your role is not only vital during disasters but equally significant in what I call a ‘peacetime calendar,’ where institutions like yours help build resilience, sustainability, and growth for the nation.”
Welcoming the graduating class to the event, the institute’s board of governors’ chairman BVR Mohan Reddy said, “Convocation is a moment of pride and responsibility. IIT Roorkee must drive Atmanirbhar Bharat by creating innovations that are affordable, scalable, and impactful. I urge our graduates to dream big, innovate fearlessly, and lead with purpose as we move towards Viksit Bharat@2047.”
Presenting the convocation report, the institute director KK Pant highlighted IIT Roorkee’s global stature and accomplishments with a QS World Ranking 339 and the top NIRF rank in Architecture and Planning for the fourth consecutive year. During the year, the institute filed 146 patents, received Rs 399 crore in research funding and launched projects in quantum technology, clean energy and hydrogen, defence, resource management and sustainability, he said.
A major recognition this year was IIT Roorkee being designated as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) by the Ministry of Mines, joining a select group of premier institutions tasked with developing technologies vital for India’s clean energy, semiconductor, mobility, defence, and space sectors. The CoE will focus on recovering critical minerals from ores and e-waste using sustainable, green approaches, leveraging interdisciplinary expertise to promote a circular economy and reduce import dependence. The Institute also advanced research in nuclear applications, earth sciences, slope stability, Himalayan sustainability, Ganga river studies, and the earthquake early warning system. It implemented the latest educational technology (AI in pedagogy), revised the curriculum, and introduced the flexi credit system. Entrepreneurship thrived with 180+ start-ups worth over Rs 4,700 crore, while placements saw 1,100 job offers, including 12 internationals, he added.
