The institute receives this grant for a period of five years to conduct research on LGD (File Photo)
This grant was given to IIT madras a day after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that one IIT will be chosen to conduct research on Lab Grown Diamonds
IIT Madras announced today that the institute has been selected for research on Lab Grown Diamonds (LGD). The institute is now receiving a grant worth Rs 242 crore for research. This scholarship was given to IIT madras a day after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that one IIT will be chosen to conduct research on Lab Grown Diamonds.
The institute receives this grant for a period of five years to conduct research on LGD. This research will be aimed at stimulating the integration of the LGD production process.
Presenting the 2023 EU budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “Lab-grown diamonds (LGD) is a technology and innovation-driven emerging sector with high employment potential. These environmentally friendly diamonds have the same optical and chemical properties as natural diamonds. To encourage indigenous production of LGD seeds and machines and reduce dependence on imports, one of the IITs will receive a research and development grant for five years.”
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The research grants go to various departments and research groups of the Institute involved in this field. IIT Madras has a rich history of conducting pioneering and translational research with important applications in industry and society.
The global diamond market demands larger and pure lab-grown diamond crystals for commercial and electronic applications. There is a need for research and development to conduct systematic studies to optimize the process parameters to grow high-purity large-volume and scalable diamond crystals, which will help India become the world leader in lab-grown diamonds.
The core faculty of the Departments of Physics, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering of IIT Madras also has a large number of core researchers with expertise in various requirements mentioned above. The upcoming center will also recruit a large number of additional manpower to carry out the research on LGD which would be located at the IIT Madras Research Park and IIT Madras Laboratories.
India has no know-how in high pressure high temperature (HPHT) technology to grow and treat diamond crystals. The cost of importing HPHT machines is very high. Therefore, there is a need to develop domestically built HPHT equipment and establish the process knowledge of HPHT diamond growth. On the other hand, CVD reactor manufacturers in India import critical components such as microwave generators, vacuum pumps, and sensors. Even good quality diamond seeds are imported.
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