The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras) quietly develops a substantial Center of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to advancing indigenous maritime technology and expertise. Researchers spearheading the project contribute significantly to major maritime endeavours in India, resulting in substantial financial savings by replacing foreign expertise and technology.
V. Sriram, Principal Investigator of the CoE on Maritime Experiments To Maritime Experience (ME2ME), aims to establish the CoE as a global leader in the maritime sector, generating substantial cost savings for India.The CoE focuses on offshore/coastal engineering, green shipping, future ports, and offshore renewable technologies, with plans to support startups in similar domains and secure funding for future projects.
Established with funding from the Government of India’s ‘Institute of Eminence’ initiative, the centre operates under the guidance of faculty members from IIT-Madras Department of Ocean Engineering.Notable achievements include the development of cost-effective wavemakers and a Next Generation smartphone-based ‘e-Navigation’ system for Inland Water Transport (IWT), alongside efforts to establish an Indigenous Satellite-based Automatic Identification System (SatAIS) for real-time vessel tracking.
Suresh Rajendran envisions IIT Madras as a world-class facility in ocean engineering, emphasising niche areas such as prototype testing, marine autonomous vehicles, and AI/ML applications to foster a thriving blue economy.
