Tata Steel has signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT Madras to set up Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Center, with initial focus on developing green energy and light weight technologies using carbon-based materials.

Anand Sen, President (Total Quality Management and Steel Business), Tata Steel, said the company has a similar MoU with IIT Bombay but for a different focus area, he told BusinessLine after signing the MoU with IIT Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi.

Tata Steel has been collaborating with IIT Madras for many years on areas such as materials characterisation, heat transfer and process research, Sen said.

The centre will draw on expertise and knowledge within Tata Group for developing applications beyond steel. It will become the nucleus of advanced material research and technology development in India, he was quoted in a joint press release.

Materials discovered
Over the years, new materials have been engineered by research labs globally. These materials, called ‘a(chǎn)dvanced’ materials, provide unique combination of physical and chemical properties that were either absent or difficult to obtain using conventional materials, the release said.

According to IIT Madras Director Ramamurthi, the institute has faculty, students and equipment to provide next breakthrough in creating applications with new materials.