Kanpur: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) has signed an agreement with Mars Antennas & RF Systems Pvt Ltd to develop Smart Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers and Smart Hybrid Inverters for Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
The collaboration aims to enhance India’s EV infrastructure and energy storage technologies.
Industry-Academia Collaboration for EV Tech
Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), IIT Kanpur and Mars Antennas will jointly work on designing, fabricating and assessing new charging and energy storage solutions. The project, set for completion in 12 months, will focus on improving efficiency and making these technologies commercially viable.
Mars Antennas will provide funding, industry expertise and access to its manufacturing, as well as testing facilities. The goal is to develop solutions that meet both Indian and international standards.
Government’s Push for Clean Tech Manufacturing
The partnership aligns with the central government’s National Manufacturing Mission, which prioritizes domestic value addition in clean energy technologies.
IIT Kanpur Director Prof Manindra Agrawal noted that the mission emphasizes the need for advancements in solar PV cells, EV batteries, motors and grid-scale batteries to strengthen India’s renewable energy sector.
Strengthening India’s EV Ecosystem
Arbind Kumar Pilania, CEO of MARS Energy & Mobility, highlighted the importance of industry-academia collaborations in accelerating green energy innovations.
“Kanpur’s industries have long benefited from IIT Kanpur’s proximity. With India setting ambitious EV and energy storage goals, such partnerships can drive technological advancements.”
As India pushes for greater adoption of electric vehicles, the development of efficient charging solutions and energy storage systems remains a key challenge. The IIT Kanpur and Mars Antennas project aims to address these gaps by integrating research with industry expertise.
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