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.

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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.”