Page 92 - ie2 August 2019

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EEPC India signs pact with CSIR-AMPRI engineering exporters to benefit from eminent scientists of AMPRI to
on alternative material in engineering bring about improvements in their production techniques using alternative
EEPC India Technology Centre, in its endeavour to gear up its members materials. Indian engineering exports have been growing by ~10 percent
for the 4th Industrial Revolution, organised a full-day session on usage in recent years, reaching a historic high of $81 billion during FY 2018-
of Alternative Materials in Engineering to make products efficient, cost- 19, which is over 25 percent of India’s total exports. The Department of
effective, and light. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Commerce has conferred a mandate on EEPC India to set up Technology
Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR-AMPRI) Centres across the country for helping MSMEs with new technologies.
– the country’s premier R&D institution of advanced materials and As globally Industry 4.0 is the new buzzword. Indian MSMEs should
processes – would impart the required expertise to EEPC India members leapfrog one generation. ‘That is where EEPC Technology Centre comes
on the use of alternative materials for exportable products. On the in.’ Mr Sehgal said. Dr Avanish Kumar Srivastava, Director, CSIR-AMPRI,
occasion, an MoU was signed between EEPC India and CSIR-AMPRI with Bhopal, said the Government has allotted 2 percent GDP for R&D and they
the purpose of educating MSMEs on Materials Science and Engineering are always provided with the required funds. It is very important foryoung
to move up the value chain for sustainability and to ensure high quality/ Indian engineers to go for start-ups with these alternative materials and
standards of engineering exports. become ‘job creators’ rather than being ‘job seekers.’
Welcoming the participants, the Mr Ravi Sehgal, Chairman, EEPC The rise in Indian engineering exports from $10 million in 1955 to
India, touched upon the significance of the MoU, which will enable $81 billion over a period of six decades reflects the amount of hard work

92 l INDIAN ENGINEERING EXPORTS l AUGUST 2019