The education ministry has asked the IITs to do so during a meeting with IITs. “The fair will lead to better understanding and create awareness among Indian industry on the capabilities and the high technology readiness levels in the IITs,” the ministry said.

During the meeting, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said this R&D fair will “create an enabling environment for cutting-edge research across the areas envisaged in NEP. The collaborative initiative by 23 IITs with Indian industries on developing innovations for the Indian and global markets would facilitate ease of living and augment the investment by alumni and industries in futuristic research in emerging technologies”.

The minister has suggested prioritizing the focus areas for thematic sessions on energy systems, communication tools, waste management, integration of traditional knowledge in structural and architecture, spatial research among others.

Ten themes have been identified in focus areas and 72 projects brought out by 23 IITs on these themes will be shortlisted by a committee. After due scrutiny, these projects will be presented before the audience in the two-day mega event.

The audience for the event shall include partners from Indian industries and global institutions, faculties of various centrally funded technical institutions, scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), students and research scholars.

To be sure, some of the older IITs do conduct industry fairs every year to showcase their R&D activities and products development pipeline to industries.