KATHMANDU: Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) and Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to engage in mutually agreed collaborative research areas on solar, energy storage, green hydrogen, microgrid, capacity building training, and academia-industry collaboration. NICCI director general KM Singh and IITR Dean Prof Vivek Kumar Malik signed the MoU, on behalf of their respective institutions.
According to the MoU, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Asia’s oldest engineering college has also agreed to offer courses and workshops for NICCI members under its Center for Sustainable Energy, IITR. Similarly, NICCI will support organizing Hackathons and exhibitions at IITR to generate interest of potential students in emerging technologies. Such events shall be organized on a periodic basis and as per agreed terms.
“We need more strong and reliable partners for NICCI in days to come,” said NICCI president Sunil KC after signing the MoU. “NICCI is bridging the gap between the industry and academia by collaborating with the best institutions in the country and in the region,” he said, adding that the collaboration between NICCI and IITR will also help Nepal’s gamechanger energy sector also. “Along with increasing investment, skilled manpower is a must for economic growth. Thus, NICCI-IIT Roorkee collaboration will give renewable energy development a push.”
NICCI, the bi-national Chamber, works with government and non-government bodies in Nepal and India, links entrepreneurs and other major stakeholders in both the countries. It facilitates the formation and sustenance of strategic partnerships and ventures.
Likewise, IITR leverages the academic and Research & Development (R&D) resources in faculty/laboratories to develop/deliver results mandated in project agreements executed with Industry and other end-users. The relationship between NICCI and IITR is going to be mutually beneficial to both organizations, according to the MoU. IIT Roorkee, which started as Roorkee College in 1847, was the first engineering college in Asia. Nepal’s most of the first generation of engineers have also been educated in IIT Roorkee that has played a pivotal role in also advancing India’s technological landscape, fostering industrial growth and shaping policies in infrastructure, water resources, energy and sustainability.
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