IIT, Madras has initiated a new plan to Innovate a new international research centre.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras) is set up for global research and innovation by establishing its first international flagship centre in Dubai. The IITM Global Dubai Centre is scheduled to launch in early 2025 and will specialise in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence (AI), data science, robotics, and sustainable energy. The objective of this centre is to link India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and Dubai’s growing technology landscape. 

The IITM Global Dubai Centre was established following a strategic agreement between IIT Madras and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The agreement was signed during GITEX Global 2024, one of the largest technology exhibitions worldwide, by Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), and Professor Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean of Global Engagement at IIT Madras.

Objectives of the new initiative

1. As the first international centre under IITM’s new initiative, ‘IITM Global,’ the      Dubai Centre will offer research, innovation, intellectual property licencing, and technology transfer in Dubai's important sectors.

2. The objective will be to leverage advanced technologies to provide support for the international scaling of deep-tech startups, further enhancing the region's technological capabilities.

3. This IIT is widely approved for its excellence in technical education, research, and innovation. With its world-class faculty, talented students, and strong industry partnerships, it has garnered significant acclaim both in India and globally.

4. The designation of this IIT as an Institute of Eminence further underscores its commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation.

The establishment of the IITM Global Dubai Centre marks a new beginning for IIT Madras as it enhances its influence on the international stage. The main focus is on advanced research and fostering entrepreneurship in vital technological fields, the centre is poised to contribute crucial to both India’s and Dubai’s innovation ecosystems.

This new initiative is not only a highlight, it is one of the IIT Madras’s leadership in engineering and technology education but also derives its role as a global club for research and development in the 21st century.