NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) bagged consultancy projects worth Rs 173.56 crore over the past three years, way ahead of other Indian engineering institutes.According to the Union HRD ministry's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) report for 2016, Roorkee and Delhi are ranked second and third among the IITs vis-avis the worth of consultancy projects received. "Our Industrial Consultancy Centre was set up in the 70s, when it primarily dealt in civil, ports and automobile engineering,"professor Bhaskar Ramamurthy , IIT-M director, said in a phone interview to TOI. Gradually, it diversified to other areas, includ ing pharmaceuticals," he added. Of these, 23, worth more than Rs 100 crore over the next three years, are with IIT-M.Over the last decade, IIT-M has prioritized research-based industrial consultancy, with a focus on product development. "The first-of-its-kind `Research Park' facility at IIT-M has given further impetus to our engagements with the industry and more and more firms are setting up niche labs here," Ramamurthy said.

Source: Times of India September 19, 2016 00:09 UTC