Saint-Gobain India is investing ₹3.8 crore over three years to establish two advanced research laboratories at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), strengthening its focus on sustainable construction materials, smart infrastructure and low-carbon building technologies.
The collaboration aims to bridge academic research and industrial expertise to develop practical solutions for India’s built environment, while supporting the construction industry’s transition towards smarter infrastructure, improved material efficiency and lower-carbon construction.
The two laboratories will be established at IIT Madras’ Centre of Excellence on Technologies for Low-carbon and Lean Construction (TLC2). They are the Digital Real-Time Sensing Technologies for Infrastructure (DṚṢṬI) Laboratory and the Concrete Admixture Research for Engineering Next-gen Construction (CAREN) Laboratory.
The research initiatives will focus on addressing key challenges facing the construction sector, including low productivity, material efficiency, structural durability, sustainability and digital transformation.
The DṚṢṬI laboratory will focus on digital and real-time sensing technologies for infrastructure, while CAREN will concentrate on research into concrete admixtures and next-generation construction engineering. Together, the facilities are expected to strengthen research capabilities in intelligent infrastructure and advanced construction materials.
Focus on low-carbon construction
The partnership builds on Saint-Gobain India’s longstanding association with IIT Madras and reflects the company’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of sustainable and lightweight construction technologies in India.
Saint-Gobain, CEO – Asia Pacific and India Region, Sreedhar N, said the collaboration would help translate scientific discoveries into practical construction solutions suited to India’s hot and humid climatic conditions.
“Our association with IIT Madras goes back many years, and this collaboration takes it further. By bringing together academic research and industrial expertise, we can turn scientific discoveries into practical construction solutions built for India’s hot and humid climate,” he said.
He added that the initiative would strengthen research capabilities in low-carbon materials, smart infrastructure and innovations for the built environment.
IIT Madras strengthens indigenous research capabilities
IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti said the establishment of the two laboratories would enhance the institution’s ability to develop next-generation construction materials and intelligent infrastructure technologies.
He said the future of India’s infrastructure would depend on sustainability, innovation and indigenous technology, adding that the partnership would help translate advanced research into practical solutions benefiting the construction industry and the country.
The ₹3.8-crore grant over three years marks a further expansion of industry-academia collaboration in construction technology, with the two laboratories expected to contribute to the development of more efficient, durable and sustainable infrastructure solutions