Union MoS Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma Unveils R&D Initiatives under SRTMI.
Defence
On March 12, 2025, Union Minister of State (MoS) Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Ministry of Steel and Ministry of Heavy Industries (MoHI), launched three Research and Development (R&D) schemes and the 'SteelCollab' web portal under the Steel Research Technology Mission of India (SRTMI) to enhance steel sector innovation. The launch took place during the event "Catalyzing R&D in the Indian Steel Sector" in New Delhi (Delhi).
- The launched schemes include the Challenge Method, Open Innovation Method, and Start-up Accelerator Scheme, each designed to address critical challenges, encourage research, and support emerging steel technologies.
- Key steel companies such as Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL), Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Jindal South West (JSW) Steel Limited, Tata Steel Limited, National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), and Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants (MECON) (India) Limited participated in the event.
- The initiative saw participation from leading research organizations, including Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT) (Bhubaneswar, Odisha), the Swedish Energy Agency (Sweden), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) (Philippines).
Main Point :- (i) The SteelCollab web portal was launched as a digital platform to connect industry leaders, academia, researchers, and startups for collaboration on decarbonization, digitalization, and advanced steel development.
(ii) The Challenge Method Scheme aims to tackle critical steel industry challenges like improving plant efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. The Open Innovation Method Scheme promotes research collaboration between academia and the steel industry, while the Start-up Accelerator Scheme provides funding and mentorship to early-stage startups working on advanced steel technologies.
(iii) These initiatives focus on innovation, sustainability, and industry collaboration, supporting India's goal of achieving 300 million tonnes (MT) of steel production capacity by 2030.
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