Rourkela, March 21: Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, virtually inaugurated the Space Technology Incubation Centre (STIC) at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela on Thursday. The event, held at the NITR campus, was also attended by M. Ganesh Pillai, ISRO’s Scientific Secretary, via an online connection.
G. Harikrishnan, Director of ISRO’s Capacity Building Programme, shared that the STIC aims to strengthen academic foundations, enhance human resources, and boost infrastructure to support India’s space missions. He also mentioned that an MoU between ISRO and NIT Rourkela had led to eight projects worth ₹1.7 crore since its signing.
Pillai emphasized the importance of collaboration between academia and industry to nurture young talent in space technology. NIT Rourkela will now be the key hub for space technology development in the eastern region, supporting efforts across Odisha, West Bengal, and beyond.