IIT Ropar amongst Seven institutes nationwide to secures Rs 100 Cr Prestigious PAIR Grant
Bahadurjeet Singh/Rupnagar,April 19,2025
In a significant stride towards collaborative innovation, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar has been awarded a highly competitive consortium-based grant worth Rs 100 crore under the ANRF-PAIR (Partnerships for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research) initiative. Out of more than 30 applications received from across India, only seven consortia were selected—placing IIT Ropar among an elite group that includes two other IITs, two Central Universities, one NIT, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore.
What makes this achievement even more noteworthy is IIT Ropar’s unwavering commitment to uplifting the research ecosystem in Northern India. As a premier institution in the region, it embraces a strategic responsibility to lead from the front—building collaborative capacity across universities and research centers.
As the lead institute in the DREAMS consortium—Dynamic Research Ecosystem for Advanced Materials Science—IIT Ropar is driving a strong vision to empower regional universities, strengthen infrastructure, and elevate the standard of interdisciplinary research across North India.
DREAMS is structured around three critical research verticals:
– Materials for mobility and structural applications
– Materials for electronic, photonic, and quantum devices
– Energy harvesting and storage
These research themes are supported by a powerful integration of state-of-the-art experimental infrastructure, high-fidelity simulations, and AI-driven materials design—making DREAMS a future-ready, innovation-driven initiative.
The consortium follows a hub-and-spoke model, with IIT Ropar serving as the central HUB and seven partner institutions from Northern India—referred to as SPOKES—including Himachal Pradesh State University (Shimla), Kurukshetra University, Panjab University (Chandigarh), Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Central University of Rajasthan, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (Katra), and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University (Bareilly). This structure enables deep mentorship, knowledge transfer, and capacity building by pairing SPOKE researchers with IIT Ropar faculty for collaborative problem-solving and project implementation.
“We are a young and dynamic institute, driven by a new generation of highly motivated faculty members who are eager to work for the nation,” said Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director of IIT Ropar and an internationally recognized computational materials scientist. “At the same time, we are anchored by experienced senior researchers—creating the perfect blend of youth and wisdom. This synergy positions IIT Ropar as the ideal institute to lead India’s next era of scientific and technological growth. DREAMS, in particular, is powered by young faculty who are not only taking the lead today but will also become the long-term strength of this consortium.”
This success reflects the spirit of IIT Ropar: a young institution driven by energetic and dynamic faculty. Leadership has played a defining role, with the Director leading from the front and setting a compelling example. The network and the proposal behind DREAMS are being steered by promising young faculty, strongly supported by senior mentors—rooted in a belief in the transformative potential of the next generation. This vision is deeply aligned with that of the Director and the ethos of the institution.
Aligned with the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and India’s net-zero emission goals, DREAMS is poised to contribute to the development of high-performance alloys, rare-earth-free magnets, solid-state batteries, spintronic devices, and advanced quantum materials. These technologies are expected to play transformative roles in critical sectors such as defense, aerospace, energy, and future mobility.
Ultimately, DREAMS is an extension of IIT Ropar’s commitment to building a robust, pan-Indian ecosystem for research excellence and innovation—emphasizing collaboration as the cornerstone for solving complex global challenges. Through this initiative, IIT Ropar not only cements its role as a national hub for advanced materials research but also leads by example in shaping the future of science and technology in India.
