Union Minister of PSW & AYUSH Sarbanadha Sonowal Inaugurated the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) – IIT, Madras Discovery Campus today, the 24th of April, 2023 at Chennai. During his address, the Minister stated that Tamil Nadu and its highly industrious, skilled, sincere and dedicated people have made this State the second-largest economy in the country. He said, it is today the number one State in the Country with the highest number of factories and industrial workers. It is the 2nd largest contributor to India’s GDP and the only State in the country to have all its districts covered under Industrial corridor projects added the Minister.
They said that the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts – IIT Madras Discovery Campus was developed under the MoU signed by the Ministry of PSW and IIT Madras on the 26th of February 2018, with the objective of providing effective solutions to problems being faced in the industry through scientific support and also providing valuable education, applied research and technology transfer in maritime transportation at the local, regional, national and international levels.
The initiative which commenced operations in 2018 has turned out to be a Role Model Project under the Prime Minister’s prestigious and most successful Sagarmala Programme, noted the Minister.
The NTCPWC – IIT, Madras Discovery Campus spread over four Acres has about five State of the Art labs. Notable among these are Sediment Management and Test Basin (SeMaTeB) which is a large shallow water facility for ports and waterways and the Marine information and communication laboratory where iVTMS and e-Navigation products are developed.
The Minister urged that this Centre must go beyond Indian shores and aim to gain recognition and tie up with reputed international stakeholders including universities worldwide. The Centre has already signed MoUs with four foreign institutions.