Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi Inaugurates JICA-funded Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH)

Completion of the project is a milestone to further enhance IITH’s function as a development centre of India’s talents and India-Japan Academic Collaboration

Hyderabad, February 20, 2024: Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, today inaugurated in virtual mode, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – funded Campus Development Project of India Institute of Hyderabad, one of the India’s most coveted institution for higher education in science and technology for developing leaders and visionaries for India’s development and strengthening India-Japan relations.

The event was graced by the presence of esteemed guests in virtual mode including H.E. Mr. SUZUKI Hiroshi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, and Ms. IMOTO Sachiko, Senior Vice President, JICA.

The history of the India-Japan cooperation for IITH traces back to 2007. India requested support from Japan in establishing new IIT in Hyderabad, which subsequently became a commitment between Hon’ble Prime Ministers of India and Japan. JICA provided the loan amounting to JPY 23,035 million (around INR 1,500 crores) through two ODA loan projects signed on 28th January 2014 between the Government of Japan and Government of India to support construction of campus facilities and procurement of research equipment, which contributed to the set-up of around 21 buildings at IITH. 6 buildings of IITH – namely Student Sport and Cultural Complex, Research Centers Complex, Knowledge Center, Technology Incubation Park, International Convention Centre and International Guest House – were designed by the Japanese architects from the University of Tokyo under JICA’s technical cooperation project.

Mr. SUZUKI Hiroshi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, spoke on this delightful occasion, stating “On behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I would like to extend my most sincere congratulations on the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH). I would like to express my deep gratitude to Prime Minister Modi ji for his strong leadership in realising this very important project. I would also like to pay my respect to Professor B S Murty, Director of IITH, for building such a wonderful campus, as well as providing best-quality education to the talented students in India. IITH is one of the finest and world-renowned institutions in India in the field of engineering, science and technology. It is a great pleasure for the Government of Japan to cooperate in the development of IITH. I much look forward to IITH becoming a hub for more and more young people interested in studying in Japan and deepens the partnership between Japan and India in the field of education. As the Ambassador of Japan to India, I am committed to make year 2024 the beginning of a “Big Bang” in Japan-India people-to-people connect. I sincerely hope that IITH will become a new symbol of Japan-India partnership, and many young talented students and scholars will further deepen the special partnership between Japan and India.

Ms. IMOTO Sachiko, Senior Vice President of JICA, expressed her elation at the completion of the flagship project, stating, “It is indeed a very historic and momentous day for the India-Japan relationship, as IIT Hyderabad Campus Development Project is being dedicated to the nation by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India today, and I am happy to share the joy of huge achievement on behalf of JICA. Over the past 17 years, the collaboration between IITH and JICA has grown in strength and size which covers campus development, several technical cooperation projects, joint research projects and public-private partnership projects. Now that the completed initiatives have laid a strong foundation for the bright future of the IITH, we look forward to further focusing on the area of human resource development of India in the technical field and people to people exchange between India and Japan in the future. I hope that recent initiatives like ‘the FRIENDSHIP project’, ‘IITH Japan Week’ and ‘JICA Chair Lecture’ will become one of the very important steps towards achieving the same. Long live India-Japan-IITH friendship! ”

In addition to the support for hard-infrastructure, JICA and IITH are working together to establish Japan Desk for promoting mutual interactions, promoting joint research projects of IITH with Japanese academia and industries, and facilitating people to people exchanges by providing scholarship for study in Japan, under the ongoing technical cooperation project, FRIENDSHIP (Future Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad to Enhance Network Development with Scholarship).

Today marks a milestone for the cooperation between India and Japan in the field of skill development. JICA remains committed to IITH’s endeavor to establish itself as a development centre of India’s talents and India-Japan Academic Collaboration through various initiatives such as ongoing technical cooperation project, IITH Japan Week and JICA Chair etc.