IIT Indore, Mehta Foundation partner to launch two new academic schools

IIT Indore has launched two new academic schools in partnership with the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation (MFF), introducing programs that focus on sustainability and biomedical innovation.

The new units, the Mehta Family School of Sustainability and the Mehta Family School of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, will offer undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs aimed at preparing students for specialized roles in emerging sectors.

At the undergraduate level, students can enroll in a BTech program that combines environmental economics with sustainable engineering or another focused on medical devices, clinical data analytics, and artificial intelligence in healthcare.

“These are first-of-their-kind programs that aim to prepare professionals to solve real-world challenges,” said Prof Suhas Joshi, Director of IIT Indore.

He added that the sustainability school will integrate engineering, science, and economics to address climate and resource-related concerns.

The school plans to graduate over 400 students and train more than 1,000 professionals through executive master’s and doctoral courses. It will also work with industry, academic institutions, and civil society to develop a skilled sustainability workforce.

Meanwhile, the Mehta Family School of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering will offer advanced learning in biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and medical devices.

Students will benefit from clinical immersion at AIIMS Bhopal and MGM Medical College Indore, along with hands-on sessions in labs like Breakerspace and Makerspace.

The school aims to train 500 students within five years and over 1,500 in the next decade.

Its academic and research plan also includes a strong focus on antimicrobial resistance, including diseases like tuberculosis, in collaboration with seven universities across central India.

Plans are underway to establish a biomanufacturing hub in the region, which will concentrate on areas such as smart protein development, enzyme design, and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The facility will support technology development from concept to prototype stages, aligned with TRLs 3 to 7.

MFF has previously collaborated with IITs across India to set up institutions focused on biosciences, health sciences, and artificial intelligence, including initiatives at IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Palakkad.