Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE), Mysuru has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, to establish an Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (AWaDH) Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Laboratory at VVCE. The project costs ₹25 lakh. Significantly, this initiative marks IIT Ropar’s first collaboration in Karnataka, expanding its national outreach in advanced research and innovation.
The proposed laboratory will be supported under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), a flagship initiative of the Government of India aimed at promoting cutting-edge research and technology development in cyber-physical systems with focus on areas like smart agriculture, water resource management, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, robotics, and data analytics.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar; Dr. B. Sadashive Gowda, Principal, VVCE; Prof. M. K. Surappa, advisor to VVCE, who is former director of IIT Ropar; and Dr. Pushpendra P. Singh, Project Director, IIT Ropar Technology Innovation Foundation (TIF), according to a press release.
Prof. Ahuja expressed happiness in collaborating with an institution located in a Tier-II city like Mysuru, where there is significant scope and real need for the application of AWaDH technologies.
Dr. B. Sadashive Gowda expressed his happiness in VVCE being chosen as IIT Ropar’s first partner institution in Karnataka. He said that the AWaDH CPS Lab will be established under the Department of Civil Engineering, enhancing hands-on learning, sponsored research initiatives, consultancy activities, and start-up incubation efforts. Dr. Shilpa B. S., Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at VVCE, will coordinate the activities of the AWaDH CPS Lab.
Published – February 24, 2026 06:54 pm IST
