Tirupati, July 22 (NSS): Amara Raja Energy & Mobility (ARE&M), a leading provider of comprehensive battery solutions, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with IIT Tirupati to establish Dr RN Galla Visiting Chair Professorship in Advanced Energy Storage Technologies at IIT Tirupati on Monday.
The announcement was made at an event held in IIT Tirupati by Jayadev Galla Chairman and Managing Director, ARE&M, Sajjan Jindal, Chairman BoG, IIT Tirupati and Chairman and Managing Director, JSW group, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, Axilor Ventures and Co-founder, Infosys, and Dr Ramadevei Gourineni were present at the event among others.
The Visiting Chair Professorship will span 10 years, starting from 2025, and will recognize outstanding global faculty and scientists working in the energy storage area, acknowledge their professional achievements, and support their scholarly work and research.
It will allow the awardee to spend up to eight weeks a year at IIT Tirupati, deliver lectures, conduct workshops and foster research collaborations. The program will also enhance students’ academic experiences, and the Institution’s reputation.
This initiative aligns with ARE&M’s commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions and pioneering developments in the energy and mobility sectors. IIT Tirupati has identified Energy storage as one of its thrust areas and is positioning itself to be a key player in various national initiatives. This support will allow the Institute to strengthen its research impact in energy storage.
Recently, ARE&M announced the development of one of India’s largest Giga factories for Li-ion cell and battery pack manufacturing, with an investment of Rs 9,500 crores in Telangana. The first phase is expected to be operational this year. Additionally, ARE&M plans to establish ‘ePositive Energy Labs,’ an innovation and research center to advance R&D in the energy storage space.
Jayadev Galla, Chairman and Managing Director of ARE&M, stated, “We are honored that IIT Tirupati has agreed to establish the Dr R N Galla Visiting Chair Professorship in Advanced Energy Storage Technologies, it’s a true tribute to Amara Raja’s Founder Dr R N Galla, who has not just transformed the industry, but also transformed lives and livelihoods over the past four decades. We are proud to facilitate this unique opportunity to expose young bright minds to the latest global developments in the field of new energy”.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. KN Satyanarayana, Director, IIT Tirupati said, “ The Chair Professorship is the highest academic honor an institute can bestow upon a faculty member in recognition of their outstanding work in identified areas. We are deeply honored that Amara Raja has chosen IIT Tirupati for establishing this Chair Professorship in honor of their founder Chairman. We are thankful to their generous support. IIT Tirupati is committed to playing a vital role in development of sustainable technologies to meet the energy requirements of our country. Such initiatives will allow the Institute to build enduring academic partnerships and nurture young talent by hosting outstanding scientists and leading professionals on our campus.”
Sajjan Jindal, Chairman & Managing Director, JSW and Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Tirupati said Such Industry Academia partnerships go a long way in motivating the next generation scientists and engineers to excel in their profession and help realize our Government’s goal of transforming India into Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman Axilor ventures said, , congratulated both ARE&M and IIT tirupati on the partnership. He encouraged the industry to be open and support and embrace R&D from Academia, as this will allow for innovation and excellence to be identified and fastracked.
