IIT-Mandi to have supercomputing facilities, signs MoU with C-DAC

Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 12

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, to establish a supercomputing facility of 650 TF compute power for research and development activities at a cost of Rs 17 crore.

What it is all about

A supercomputer is a computer that has very high speed in its operation and higher memory. This supercomputing system can perform the assigned tasks, including multiple tasks, at very high speeds than any other normal personal computers and in many cases are able to operate at speeds that are millions of times faster than ordinary PCs.

Prof Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Mandi, and Dr Hemant Darbari, Director General, C-DAC, India, signed the MoU today during a virtual event in the presence of Sanjay Dhotre, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Education and Communications, and Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Central Government.

Dhotre said, “The National Supercomputing Mission is an important initiative of the Central Government. C-DAC along with the IISc, IITs, and the NITs is playing an eminent role in achieving the goal of Digital India and the Atamnirbhar Bharat mission. The MoU will help in increasing India’s global relevance in the field of supercomputing. I congratulate C-DAC and the partner institutes for this milestone”.

A supercomputer is a computer that has very high speed in its operation and higher memory. This supercomputing system can perform the assigned tasks, including multiple tasks, at very high speeds than any other normal personal computers and in many cases are able to operate at speeds that are millions of times faster than ordinary PCs.

Ashutosh Sharma said, “In the past five years, our emphasis has shifted from buying hardware and software components of supercomputers to the manufacturing of these components under the Atamnirbhar Bharat mission”.

Chaturvedi said, “IITs are pioneers in the field of computer science in the country. With the setting up of this supercomputing facility at the IIT, Mandi, we are looking forward to addressing every area of science and technology. This supercomputer will enhance our capability in training researchers, including the faculty and students of the institute. This MoU with C-DAC is a milestone for the IIT, Mandi”.

“The supercomputer will be made operational for research and development purposes for the users at the IIT, Mandi, within the next four months. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is coordinating the project and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, is the implementing agency,” he added.

He said that C-DAC, Pune, would instal the supercomputing facility in the IIT, Mandi, with liquid-cooled racks and 200 gigabit Infiniband connectivity.