HIGHLIGHTS OF 2021 |
Let’s embrace lessons of 2021 & open our arms to an enlightening 2022
Maker Bhawan Foundation & UPL Ltd. fund IIT Jammu’s 1st Tinkerer’s Lab
IIT Jammu signed a MoU with the Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF)
and UPL
Ltd recently, to set up a Tinkerers’ Lab at IIT Jammu. The lab will be an 1800 sq.
ft
student-managed Makerspace open 24*7 for the students of IIT Jammu. UPL and MBF have
together
committed over one crore to equip the laboratory with the latest workstations of
electrical and
mechanical equipment with noteworthy inclusions such as Laser cutting and CNC machines,
3D
printers, fabrication facilities among others.
The facility is visualised as a multidisciplinary and collaborative
learning space and would be ready for launch by January 2022. It will enable creative
minds to
explore new ideas, tinker hands-on and inculcate the spirit of innovation and product
development.
Talking about the initiative, Vikram Shroff Executive Director of UPL-Ltd explained his motivation to support the program- "UPL is a company that has India’s 1st patent which was earlier called EMRs in the 90s. This year we have won the National IP awards; we have more than 1400+ granted patents. We are a very innovative company that has launched many new products. All this is built on a culture of innovation, thinking and tinkering. India, as it moves to a USD 5 trillion economy, will need multiple centers where young engineers can become TINKERERS, increase their curiosity and creativity and try new things. This is our small effort to help build the ecosystem of creativity and experimentation in India".
Shri Ruyinatan Mehta, a co-founder of Maker Bhavan Foundation- a California based charity, explained their work in India.
“MBF was set up to infuse Indian engineering education with curiosity, experimentation and experiential learning and foster a culture of innovation among students. We have already set up 5 such labs across IITs and non-IIT engineering colleges in India and, I am personally happy to support the setting up of our sixth Tinkerer’s lab at IIT Jammu”.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Manoj Singh Gaur, Director IIT Jammu said-
“The Tinkerer’s Lab powered by MBF & UPL shall be a milestone in realising IIT Jammu’s vision of becoming an Innovation-driven institute that fuels entrepreneurial spirits across the community. This lab will cross disciplinary boundaries to create deployable solutions relevant to the industry, academia, and society. We express our gratitude to the generous sponsors who have supported IIT Jammu in this effort towards nation building”.