Campus Beat Hyderabad

PM Modi inaugurates JICA-funded campus project for IIT Hyderabad

PM Modi inaugurates JICA-funded campus project for IIT Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded Campus Development Project of the Indian Institute of Hyderabad (IITH) in virtual mode on Tuesday. The project, aimed at enhancing infrastructure and facilities at one of India’s premier institutions for higher education in science and technology, signifies a significant step in fostering India-Japan relations and developing future leaders for India’s progress.

The event was graced by the presence of esteemed guests in virtual mode including H.E. SUZUKI Hiroshi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, and IMOTO Sachiko, Senior Vice President, JICA.

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The history of India-Japan cooperation for IIT Hyderabad dates back to 2007 when India sought support from Japan to establish the new IIT in Hyderabad. This collaboration materialised into a commitment between the Prime Ministers of both countries.

JICA provided a loan amounting to JPY 23,035 million (around INR 1,500 crores) through two ODA loan projects, facilitating the construction of around 21 buildings at IITH, including the Student Sport and Cultural Complex, Research Centers Complex, Knowledge Center, Technology Incubation Park, International Convention Centre, and International Guest House. Notably, six buildings at IITH were designed by Japanese architects from the University of Tokyo under JICA’s technical cooperation project.

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SUZUKI Hiroshi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, spoke on this delightful occasion, saying, “On behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I would like to extend my most sincere congratulations on the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH). I would like to express my deep gratitude to Prime Minister Modi ji for his strong leadership in realising this very important project. I would also like to pay my respect to Professor B S Murty, Director of IITH, for building such a wonderful campus, as well as providing best-quality education to the talented students in India. IITH is one of the finest and world-renowned institutions in India in the field of engineering, science and technology. It is a great pleasure for the Government of Japan to cooperate in the development of IITH. I much look forward to IITH becoming a hub for more and more young people interested in studying in Japan and strengthening the partnership between Japan and India in the field of education. As the Ambassador of Japan to India, I am committed to make the year 2024 the beginning of a ‘Big Bang’ in Japan-India people-to-people connect. I sincerely hope that IITH will become a new symbol of Japan-India partnership, and many young talented students and scholars will further deepen the special partnership between Japan and India.

IMOTO Sachiko, Senior Vice President of JICA, expressed her elation at the completion of the flagship project, stating, “It is indeed a very historic and momentous day for the India-Japan relationship, as IIT Hyderabad Campus Development Project is being dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister of India today, and I am happy to share the joy of huge achievement on behalf of JICA.Over the past 17 years, the collaboration between IITH and JICA has grown in strength and size which covers campus development, several technical cooperation projects, joint research projects and public-private partnership projects. Now that the completed initiatives have laid a strong foundation for the bright future of the IITH, we look forward to further focusing on the area of human resource development of India in the technical field and people to people exchange between India and Japan in the future. I hope that recent initiatives like ‘the FRIENDSHIP project’, ‘IITH Japan Week’ and ‘JICA Chair Lecture’ will become one of the very important steps towards achieving the same. Long live India-Japan-IITH friendship.”

In addition to supporting hard infrastructure, JICA and IITH are collaborating on establishing a Japan Desk to promote mutual interactions, joint research projects with Japanese academia and industries, and facilitating people-to-people exchanges through scholarships for study in Japan, under the ongoing technical cooperation project, FRIENDSHIP (Future Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad to Enhance Network Development with Scholarship).

The inauguration marks a milestone in India-Japan cooperation in skill development. JICA reaffirms its commitment to supporting IITH’s efforts in establishing itself as a center for India’s talent development and fostering India-Japan academic collaboration through various initiatives, including IITH Japan Week and the JICA Chair program.