Rupnagar: Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) and iDG10 Solutions Private Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a long-term collaboration for validation, testing, training, and joint consultancy in subsea pipeline design technology. The partnership brings together IIT Ropar’s academic expertise and iDG10’s proprietary software, SPDT (Subsea Pipeline Design Tool), to strengthen India’s offshore engineering capability.
The MoU was signed by Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, and Silvi Francis Farnand, A&P Director and Co-founder, iDG10 Solutions Pvt. Ltd., in the presence of Dr. Sarang Gumfekar, Associate Dean, Continuing Education and Outreach, and Prof. Dhiraj K. Mahajan, who will coordinate the proposed activities from IIT Ropar’s side.
This 60-month partnership aims to create an India-based capability that offers world-class subsea pipeline design training, hands-on tool validation, industry consultancy, and student capstone projects under one roof. It is expected to reduce dependence on international providers and build local capacity for India’s growing offshore and energy infrastructure programmes.
As part of the collaboration, iDG10 will provide software licences of its SPDT and related tools to IIT Ropar for educational and validation purposes. A flagship Subsea Pipeline Design course will be jointly conducted, featuring five days of classroom teaching at IIT Ropar, followed by a 21-day live project where participants will use SPDT for end-to-end pipeline design. Final-year B.Tech and M.Tech students in Mechanical or Civil Engineering, along with industry professionals from the oil and gas, offshore, marine, and related sectors, will be eligible for enrolment.
iDG10 will also offer capstone projects for B.Tech and M.Tech students. The top five candidates will receive a three-month SPDT support and extended tool access. Each participant in the live project will get a 21-day SPDT trial for practical learning. IIT Ropar and iDG10 will further collaborate on consultancy services for the oil and gas sector and other infrastructure domains including water and wastewater systems, hydrogen transportation, district heating and cooling, carbon capture and storage, mining and slurry transport, and thermal power plant cooling systems.
This initiative is expected to localise advanced subsea pipeline design skills, enabling students and researchers to gain hands-on exposure to real-world software workflows. It will also provide the energy and infrastructure sectors with affordable India-based consultancy and training aligned with global standards while supporting national goals of technological self-reliance in critical offshore and energy transition sectors.
“The MoU marks an important step toward building home-grown capability in a highly specialised and strategic area of offshore engineering. Our students and researchers will gain practical, tool-based experience that directly addresses industry needs and national infrastructure priorities,” said Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar.
“We are excited to partner with IIT Ropar to bring SPDT-driven education and consultancy to India’s engineers. This collaboration will help bridge the gap and enable faster, safer and more cost-effective subsea pipeline projects,” said Silvi Francis Farnand, A&P Director and Co-founder, iDG10 Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) is a national institute of higher education and research established in 2008 in Rupnagar, Punjab. The institute offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across engineering, science, and technology, and is known for its strong focus on applied research and industry collaboration. Through its R&D centres, Technology Business Incubator (TBI), IPR cell, and national research initiatives, IIT Ropar continues to support India’s infrastructure, energy transition, and innovation goals.
BI Bureau
