Tata Power and IIT Madras partner on R&D for next-gen energy technologies

Indian utility company Tata Power has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) on research and development (R&D) for future energy technologies and business cases.

The two will collaborate on consultancy, policy advocacy, advisory, training and commercialisation of energy solutions that can help India to speed up its energy transition and digital transformation of the power sector.

IIT Madras will provide its expertise in technology innovation whilst Tata Power will provide its experience in renewable energy and smart grid development and operation to come up with what the companies believe could be game-changing solutions.

Tata Power will be supported by IIT Madras’ Center for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research on tech R&D whilst Tata Power will recruit graduates from the university for internships and permanent positions within the company.

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The project falls under efforts by Tata Power to leverage industry collaborations to develop unique energy services that can enable the provision of low-cost and low-carbon energy products for improved customer services.

Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, said the collaboration will enable graduates to gain skills in emerging areas that are of national importance.

For instance, equipping graduates with renewable energy and smart metering skills could enable India to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels and the digitalisation of utility operations.

The signing of the agreement comes as Tata Power has partnered with more than 100 national and international technology companies and institutions to develop low-cost, scalable solutions in the clean energy space.

Tata Power and IIT Madras will conduct research interaction visits to each other’s sites, create research laboratories, as well as share expertise through virtual means. In addition, Tata Power employees and the IIT faculty can participate on each other’s committees and Boards.

Tata Power will make grants available to support faculty research or to support students on scholarships and fellowships.