BITS Pilani Gets $1 Million Gift for Advanced Materials Centre
BITS Pilani has received a $1 million alumnus gift to establish the AMRIT advanced materials centre at its Goa campus, focusing on batteries, hydrogen and semiconductors.
BITS Pilani has received a $1 million seed gift from alumnus Anurag Jain to establish the AMRIT (Anurag Jain Materials Research and Innovation Center of Excellence) at its Goa campus. The centre will bring together students, researchers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and international academic partners to develop advanced materials and help move research from laboratories towards commercial applications.
The centre will initially focus on two-dimensional and functional materials, with applications in batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen production, fuel cells, photovoltaics, carbon capture, semiconductors and sensors.
Alongside research, AMRIT will emphasise technology translation, industry collaborations, intellectual property creation and the development of materials-focused startups. BITS Pilani said the centre is expected to require multi-million-dollar investment over the coming years as its research and innovation activities expand.
The initiative comes as India strengthens its focus on strategic sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy and critical minerals. The centre plans to collaborate with universities, laboratories, companies and experts in India and abroad.
It will also provide students and researchers with access to advanced infrastructure and interdisciplinary research opportunities while supporting the development of skilled professionals for academia and industry. The initiative aims to create intellectual property, support new ventures and develop advanced-material technologies with applications in India and global markets.
