IIT Kanpur partners US firm Ansys for O2 concentrators

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 15, 2021

 

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has partnered and raised funding from the US based global leader in engineering simulation software, Ansys for manufacturing oxygen plants and concentrators.

 

The collaboration has been firmed up by the IIT Kanpur arm, Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) under its Mission Bharat O2, which is aimed at making the country self-reliant in oxygen production and supply.

 

The cross-border partnership will operate on a decentralised model to generate indigenous manufacturing capabilities and a distribution network of health infrastructure. Through Mission Bharat O2, SIIC aims to create manufacturing pockets where Indian manufacturers will develop oxygen concentrators and plants on a rapid scale.

 

The association comes at a crucial juncture to promote indigenous manufacturing at par global standards. Mission Bharat O2 is a step towards the larger vision of SIIC to nurture a self-sustainable healthcare system in India, according to the Institute.

 

In the recent past, Ansys has collaborated with AIPL, an SIIC incubate, in design qualification of oxygen plants. Ansys provided critical design insights by leveraging its expertise in computational fluid dynamics and structural mechanics.

 

“IIT Kanpur aims to turn India into a manufacturing hub by supporting product innovation that originated from cutting-edge research and development. Our incubated companies have contributed immensely since the outbreak of Covid-19 in India. Now, we want to go a step further to build a nexus of local manufacturers who will put India on the map of the global manufacturing hubs. The support from Ansys is a vital contribution in that direction,” SIIC CEO Dr Nikhil Agarwal observed.

 

“Mission Bharat O2 under the aegis of SIIC is a crucial step towards the indigenisation of oxygen concentrators and plants that will go a long way in fighting Covid-19. Ansys is committed to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and for this to be successful, manufacturing is key. Simulation driven product development is the edge that will provide that much needed innovation, improved quality and decrease risks,” Ansys, area vice president (India and South Asia Pacific) said.

 

SIIC has selected eight manufacturing partners from 70+ participants who had competed to manufacture indigenous oxygen plants and concentrators under the Mission. With this, SIIC has taken a step forward to make the Indian healthcare manufacturing ecosystem self-sustaining by reducing dependence on imports.