IIT Kanpur team launches challenge to develop solutions amid COVID-19 oxygen crisis

IIT Kanpur has launched the challenge with an aim to build a mechanism to support the innovative minds of India to set up more than 20,000 oxygen generation units in the next 6-8 weeks. 

IIT Kanpur’s initiative amid COVID-19 crisis: In view of the oxygen shortage faced by many people amid the ongoing pandemic situation, a team at the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-K) Kanpur, launched 'Mission Bharat O2' challenge to develop indigenous solutions for solving India's oxygen crisis. The challenge has been launched with an aim to build a mechanism to support innovative minds of India to set up more than 20,000 oxygen generation units in the next 6-8 weeks, an official statement released by the institute said.

It further added, SIIC aims to work with a set of manufacturers in different regions of India with a target production capacity of 100 units per day with the possibility of scaling up. Last year, when India got hit by the novel coronavirus wave for the first time, SIIC supported its incubated companies to develop indigenous products including the Swasa N-95 mask and the Noccarc V310 ventilator. Talking about the challenge, Professor Abhay Karandikar, Director at IIT Kanpur, said, "When the first wave of COVID-19 hit India, SIIC-incubated companies stepped up to deliver world-class healthcare products. The products, developed locally, are a testament of India's capability to innovate at par with global standards."

Professor Karandikar added, “As India reels under the impact of the second wave, IIT Kanpur and SIIC have decided to support more indigenous innovators, this time to address the oxygen crisis in the country.”

Professor Karandikar also posted a tweet urging startups and entrepreneurs from across the country to participate in the challenge. Check the tweet below:

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