Sterlite Technologies Sharpens Broadband Research Focus
AURANGABAD, India, January 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
- 35,000 sq. ft Centre of Excellence Inaugurated in Aurangabad by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
- Announces USD 100,000 Annual Seed Fund to Promote Efficient Technologies in Broadband Research
- Agreements Signed With IIT-Madras and IIT-Kanpur
Sterlite Technologies "Sterlite" [BSE: 532374, NSE:STRTECH], announced a slew of initiatives to sharpen its research focus on ultra-high speed broadband technologies at a one-of-its-kind conclave held in Aurangabad earlier, today. The conclave aligned collaborative efforts between the government, broadband industry, and academia towards delivering on the Digital India vision. It featured a plenary address by Former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, where he inaugurated the company's Centre of Excellence (CoE). To strengthen India's investments in broadband technology research, Sterlite also announced an annual seed fund of USD 100,000. This will be awarded to promising new Indian start-ups, working on innovative broadband deployment technologies. Agreements on collaborative research in ultra-high speed broadband were also signed with IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur today.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Anand Agarwal, CEO, Sterlite Technologies, said, "Sterlite is uniquely positioned at the confluence of Government's vision of Digital India, Make in India, and 100 Smart Cities, and the initiatives announced today are aimed at furthering India's broadband research muscle. Having delivered over 40% of India's fiber network, Sterlite is playing an integral role in National Broadband projects, as well as the backhauling of all data on 3G/4G/fixed networks."
Impressed with the technological and scientific capabilities of the CoE, Dr. Kalam said, "My greetings to all of you for your research, development and production of optical fiber glass technology. I would urge all of you Government, public and private institutions to evolve a road map to bring a high speed wifi access to villages in the combination of Fiber cable, Wi-Max, wi-fi and 3G/4G connectivity. My best wishes to all the members of Sterlite Limited in the mission of making the nation strong."
The CoE is the only such facility in India dedicated to research and development of fiber-optic broadband technologies. Spanning 35,000 sq. ft., it adjoins Sterlite's integrated 20-million kms optical fiber factory in Aurangabad.
Some of the key partnerships announced today include:
Sterlite announced a USD 100,000 annual seed fund for the best ideas in innovative broadband deployment technologies. The company will set-up a 5-member panel comprising eminent members of the broadband ecosystem.
Sterlite together with IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur, today announced multi-year fellowship programs, and grants to encourage collaborative research in ultra-high speed broadband.
"Through this collaborative partnership, we will explore new ideas and create unique solutions for broadband deployment in India," said Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian, Dean, Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research, IIT-Madras.
"We are excited to partner with Sterlite Technologies. This research and development effort in advanced optical transmission technologies is a natural fit to IIT-Kanpur," added Prof. Siddhartha Panda, Associate Dean, Industrial Collaboration, IIT-Kanpur.
About Sterlite Technologies Ltd.
Sterlite Technologies Limited develops and delivers products, solutions and infrastructure for telecom and power transmission networks, globally. Sterlite is among the global leaders in all its business areas of Optical Fiber, Fiber Optic Cables, Power Conductors and HV / EHV Power Cables through its operations in India, China and Brazil. As the most integrated Optical Fiber Company in the world, Sterlite is pioneering Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment in the country to enable high speed broadband connectivity. Sterlite is developing several transmission infrastructure projects spanning over 5000 Circuit Kms, across India. Listed on Stock Exchanges BSE & NSE in Mumbai, India, Sterlite Technologies is a public company with broad shareholder base.
About IIT-Madras
Indian Institute of Technology Madras is one among the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research. The Institute was formally inaugurated in 1959 by Prof. Humayun Kabir, Union Minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs. It has established itself as a premier centre for teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country.
About IIT-Kanpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (commonly known as IIT Kanpur or IITK) is a public research college located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It was declared to be Institute of National Importance by Government of India under IIT Act. Established in 1959 as one of the first Indian Institutes of Technology, the institute was created with the assistance of a consortium of nine leading US research universities as part of the Kanpur Indo-American Programme (KIAP).
Media Contact: Ravindra Utgikar, [email protected], +91-20-30514000, Sterlite Technologies
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