IIT Madras Opens ₹3.3 Crore Robotics Lab for Construction Sector

Chennai: IIT Madras has inaugurated a ₹3.30 crore robotics laboratory to promote research, innovation and industry applications in robotics and automation for the construction and infrastructure sectors.

The laboratory has been established with CSR support from Bechtel India Private Limited as part of a collaboration focused on developing technology solutions for construction-related challenges and strengthening the connection between academic research and industry requirements.

The partnership will support research and development in construction robotics, automation and advanced construction technologies. It will also provide opportunities for real-world project exploration, testing and technology demonstrations, drawing on Bechtel’s expertise in engineering, procurement and construction.

Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said industry-academia partnerships play an important role in advancing research and innovation, particularly in specialised areas such as robotics and automation in construction.

He said the collaboration with Bechtel would enable IIT Madras to address industry-relevant challenges while creating opportunities to test and demonstrate technologies and take promising solutions closer to deployment.

Bechtel India Managing Director Raja Yeluri said the partnership would provide IIT Madras students, faculty members and industry engineers with a shared platform to transform real-world construction challenges into automated solutions. It is also expected to support the development of skilled professionals for the sector.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, IIT Madras faculty members Prof. T. Asokan and Prof. Koshy Varghese, who will lead the laboratory, along with Raja Yeluri and Ravi Tata, Robotics Manager at Bechtel India.

According to IIT Madras, the collaboration will cover joint research, consulting and technology development. Projects may lead to research publications, patents, prototypes and industry demonstrations.

Bechtel will also provide industry inputs for curriculum development, facilitate mentorship by its professionals and explore internship opportunities for selected students.

The initiative is planned as a long-term collaboration over the next five to 10 years. It will give students, including master’s candidates, hands-on exposure to emerging robotics technologies and their applications in construction and advanced engineering.