IIT Palakkad set to shift to Sahyadri campus

IIT officials said that the new campus was named Sahyadri as a tribute to the Western Ghats that surround the campus in 504 acres.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Palakkad is set to shift to its new Sahyadri campus even as the fifth batch is preparing for its convocation. The fresh batch of students will join the new campus in a few weeks.

IIT officials said that the new campus was named Sahyadri as a tribute to the Western Ghats that surround the campus in 504 acres. They said that by embracing renewable energy sources, innovative waste management systems, and efficient water conservation facilities, the new campus aimed to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint.

The academic block has a classroom complex for 2,000 students. The campus has department buildings, a central fabrication facility, a heavy machinery lab, a research complex, and a large infrastructure testing lab. It is equipped with studio classrooms with facilities such as multi-camera recording, lightboard recording, chroma-keying, live-streaming, and web-based video conferencing and editing.

IIT Palakkad currently offers B.Tech programmes in five engineering streams, including data science and engineering, M.Tech programmes in specialised engineering domains, and M.Sc programmes in Physics, Maths and Chemistry. “All these programmes align with industry requirements and emerging technologies, ensuring that graduates are equipped to thrive in a constantly changing professional environment,” said IIT Palakkad Director A. Seshadri Sekhar.

Dr. Sekhar said that IIT Palakkad’s initiatives were designed to ensure that students were industry-ready, aligning with the principles outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. By engaging in consultancy projects and sponsored initiatives, students had the opportunity to tackle real-world challenges and gain valuable professional experience. Over 150 sponsored projects and about 80 consultancy projects were being handled by the faculty members of IIT Palakkad.

IIT has signed accords with different academic and industrial partners. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala Highway Research Institute, Kerala State Small Industries Association, MulticoreWare, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, are among them.

According to Dr. Sekhar, IIT has emerged as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, encouraging students to think creatively. The CSquare Innovation Lab provides state-of-the-art facilities for prototyping and project work. The setting up of the Technology Innovation Foundation (TECHIN) and multiple centers of excellence further supports research, innovation, and start-up initiatives, he said.