The Indian Institute of Technology Madras will receive a grant of Rs 242 Crore over five years for research on Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGD), with the goal of driving the indigenization of LGD manufacturing processes.
Bullet Point Summary:
- IIT Madras to receive a grant of Rs 242 Crore over five years
- The research focused on the indigenization of the Lab-Grown Diamonds manufacturing process
- The research will be conducted across various departments and research groups at IIT Madras
- The global diamond market demands bigger and high pure lab-grown diamonds
- The aim is to make India self-sustainable in the lab-grown diamond sector
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has been granted Rs 242 Crore over a five-year period for research on Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGD) in the Budget 2023. This funding will support the institute’s efforts to indigenize the manufacturing process of LGD. The research will be conducted across various departments and research groups at IIT Madras and will focus on optimizing the process parameters to grow highly pure and scalable diamond crystals. The finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that LGD is a technology and innovation-driven emerging sector with high employment potential and environment-friendly characteristics.
IIT Madras has a history of conducting cutting-edge and translational research with practical applications, making it an ideal institution to lead this effort. The core faculty from the Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering departments have a good number of core researchers with expertise in the necessary fields. Additionally, the research group will recruit more manpower to run the research at the IIT Madras Research Park and Laboratories.
The current lack of indigenously developed high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) technology and critical components for CVD reactor manufacturers in India highlights the need for self-sustainability in the lab-grown diamond sector. The goal of the research is to develop indigenously built HPHT equipment, critical components, and seed substrates to make India a world leader in lab-grown diamonds. The upcoming research center will play a vital role in achieving this goal.
Q: What is the grant for the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) for?
A: The grant of Rs 242 Crore over a period of five years is for IIT Madras to undertake research on Lab Grown Diamonds (LGD).
Q: What is the aim of the research on Lab Grown Diamonds at IIT Madras?
A: The aim of the research on Lab Grown Diamonds at IIT Madras is to drive the indigenization of the LGD manufacturing process and reduce import dependency.
Q: Why does the global diamond market demand lab-grown diamonds?
A: The global diamond market demands lab-grown diamonds for commercial and electronic applications, and there is a need for research to grow high pure, large-volume, and scalable diamond crystals.
Q: What is the expertise of the core faculty at IIT Madras in relation to Lab Grown Diamonds research?
A: The core faculty at IIT Madras, from the Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering departments, have expertise in various requirements needed for the research on Lab Grown Diamonds.
Q: What is the current situation of India’s know-how in high-pressure high temperature (HPHT) technology to grow diamond crystals?
A: India currently has no know-how in high pressure high temperature (HPHT) technology to grow and treat diamond crystals, and the cost of importing HPHT machines is high.
Q: What is the goal of the IIT Madras Research Group for the lab-grown diamond sector?
A: The goal of the IIT Madras Research Group for the lab-grown diamond sector is to make India self-sustainable by indigenously developing critical components, technologies, and seed substrates.
