S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Guwahati Technology Innovation Hub (TiH) conducted India’s inaugural training and certification program in underwater welding and deep diving.
The training program was conducted by IIT Guwahati in collaboration with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
This initiative is a significant step towards enhancing the nation’s capabilities in underwater asset maintenance and developing a skilled workforce to support critical industries.
Broader impact
IIT Guwahati director Prof Devendra Jalihal highlighted broader impact of this initiative.
This first-of-its-kind program blends academic rigor with hands-on expertise, addressing a critical skills gap in the maritime and energy sectors, said Director of IIT Guwahati.
We are proud to partner with IRS to drive innovation and capability development in these fields, he said.
Program
The program was conducted at the Neel Diving Academy in Kochi, where trainers from both IRS and TIH IIT Guwahati delivered comprehensive theoretical and practical sessions.
Participants engaged in rigorous underwater welding exercises and underwent a series of technical evaluations. The quality and safety of their work samples were assessed against stringent standards, following which participants were certified for their proficiency in underwater welding, say sources from IIT Guwahati.
Success
Speaking on the achievement, Prof. N. R. Mandal, Chair, Technology Innovation and Development Foundation, IIT Guwahati said the success of this program underscores our commitment to advancing specialized maritime skills and strengthening India’s underwater asset maintenance capabilities.
This certification program aligns with the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) by building local expertise in underwater wet welding—a skill crucial for maintaining India’s offshore and maritime infrastructure, he said.
Workforce
Dr. Asokendu Samanta, Divisional Head of R&D at IRS, added, this program equips the workforce with vital underwater wet welding and deep diving skills, which are essential for maintaining India’s oil, gas, and shipping infrastructure.
Commitment
IIT Guwahati is committed to nurturing talent and empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make meaningful contributions to the nation’s progress.
Through initiatives like this, the institute not only addresses critical industry needs but also contributes to the holistic growth and development of India’s workforce.
About IIT Guwahati
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, established in 1994, completed 25 years of glorious existence in 2019. At present, the Institute has eleven departments, nine interdisciplinary academic centres and five schools covering all the major engineering, science, healthcare, management, and humanities disciplines, offering BTech, BDes, BSc(Hons), MA, MDes, MTech, MSc, MS(R), MBA and PhD programmes. The institute offers a residential campus to 455 faculty members and more than 8,600 students at present.
IIT Guwahati has retained the 7th position among the best engineering institutions of the country, 9th position in ‘Overall’ and 10th position in ‘Research’ Categories in the ‘India Rankings 2024’ declared by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the Union Ministry of Education.
IITG has achieved rank 87 in the SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024 and is the only academic institution in India that occupied a place among the top 100 world universities – under 50 years of age – ranked by London-based Times Higher Education (THE) in 2014 and continues to maintain its superior position even today in various International Rankings.
IIT Guwahati gained rank 32 globally in the ‘Research Citations per Faculty’ category and overall 344 rank in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
Among other frontier areas of research and innovation, IIT Guwahati is working towards augmenting critical science research initiatives in Genomics, Developmental Biology, Health Care and Bioinformatics and Flexible Electronics, among numerous other areas.
Also, IIT Guwahati ranks 6th globally in Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and clean energy) of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023. IIT Guwahati has been also ranked 2nd in the ‘Swachhata Ranking’ conducted by the Govt. of India.
Also Read – IIT Guwahati researchers develop great sustainable method for Ammonium removal