Acquafront Infrastructure Private Limited (AIPL), a startup incubated at the StartupIncubation, and Innovation Centre (SIIC) IIT Kanpur, have developed a next-gen concept “i-Ghat” at Kada Ghat, Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh).
It is a unique futuristic proposition to refine river ghats in India. The i-Ghat includes integrating reinforced-cement concrete (RCC) based floats with solar cells and electric-powered boats using Steel Integrated Floating Jelly (SIFJ) technology to avoid the impact of using plastic floats and also to reduce the noise and air pollution caused by diesel boats.
The project is supported by NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader present in more than 80 countries.
The i-Ghat facility at Kada Ghat, Kaushambi was commissioned in September, 2022, and has recently been inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, a statement by IIT (Kanpur) here said on Wednesday.
The i-Ghat project is equipped with a state-of-the-art floating charging station with a battery swap for the battery powered electric-boats that use captured solar energy through the RCC-based floating solar grid. It is completely self-sufficient, causes zero air and noise pollution and aligns with NTT DATA’s aim to support technology innovations for a sustainable world.
Gauri Bahulkar, director, Global CSR & India Client Experience Centers, NTT DATA Services, said, “We have always believed in SIIC’s quest to harness innovative talent to develop next-gen technology and are happy to associate with IIT Kanpur’s incubation centre which shares a long-standing history of ensuring last-mile impact through its deployed technology.”
Prof. Abhay Karandikar, director, IIT Kanpur said in a statement here on Wednesday, “The innovation ecosystem at IIT Kanpur is under rapid expansion and I am grateful to NTT DATA for their consistent support to us and the startups. I congratulate AIPL for its deployment of SIFJ technology to develop this project, which is a remarkable step towards ensuring livelihood through a sustainable approach.”