The Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT-I) has launched India’s first Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) program in Sustainability, a significant step towards integrating environmental awareness into higher education. The programme, developed in conjunction with the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation (MFF), is one of two recently announced BTech courses, the other focusing on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Medical Device Innovations.
These pioneering courses will be offered by IIT Indore’s two newly established schools: the School of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering and the School of Sustainability. The former will focus on AI in healthcare, drug discovery, wearable technology, bioinformatics, and biomanufacturing. It will also target public health issues such as dengue, chikungunya, and antimicrobial resistance. A bio-manufacturing hub will also be established to boost enzyme and smart protein development in India.
Meanwhile, the School of Sustainability will focus on environmental economics, energy systems, battery technology, environmental law, and water-climate research. It will host three Centres of Excellence to support research related to public policy.
Dr. Suhas Joshi, Director of IIT Indore, referred to the effort as a strategic evolution for the institution. IIT-I intends to teach more than 1,500 sustainability professionals over the next decade.
