The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCWPC) at IIT Madras, Discovery Campus on Monday, April 24.

NTCWPC has been established at IIT Madras at the cost of Rs 77 crore under the Sagarmala programme, said a report by ANI. The institute acts as a technological arm for the ministry and develops cutting-edge technologies and application products to solve various challenges faced by the Ports and Shipping Sector.

According to an official statement issued earlier, the institute has world-class capabilities for undertaking 2D and 3D investigations of research and consultancy nature for the Port, Coastal, and Waterway sector across all disciplines.

"Modelling of Ocean, determining the Coastal and Estuarine Flows, Sediment transport and morphodynamics, planning of Navigation and Maneuvering, estimation of Dredging and Siltation, consultancy in Port and Coastal Engineering - designing the Structures and Breakwaters, Autonomous Platforms and vehicles, Experimental and CFD modelling of flow and Hull interaction, Hydrodynamics of multiple hulls, Ocean renewable energy coupled with port facilities are some of the areas where expertise had already been developed for the benefit of the country," the statement said.

The institute also empowers Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives of the country in different sectors, as per a report by ANI.