The announcement was made at the first-ever IIT Madras Technology Summit in Delhi. The centres were inaugurated by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, highlighting the growing importance of academic-industry partnerships in building future-ready technologies for India.

The three newly launched centres are the NTPC Centre for Cardiovascular Research, the BPCL Centre for Next-Gen Technologies for Robotic Assisted Surgeries, also known as YANTRAS, and the HSBC Centre for Resource Efficiency, Recyclability & Circularity in Energy Transition. Together, they represent IIT Madras’ expanding role as a national innovation hub working at the intersection of research, technology and public impact.

A Major Push for India-Specific Heart Research

The NTPC Centre for Cardiovascular Research has been established with support from NTPC Limited. Its primary goal is to tackle India’s growing burden of cardiovascular disease through advanced research, indigenous medical technology and clinical translation.

The centre will focus on identifying India-specific genetic risk factors linked to heart disease. Such research can help doctors and scientists understand why certain populations may be more vulnerable to cardiovascular conditions. Over time, this could support better prevention, early diagnosis and personalised treatment.

Another major area of work will be digital twin-based cardiac simulations. A digital twin is a virtual model of a patient’s heart or medical condition. Doctors can use this model to study how the heart may respond to different treatments before applying them in real life. This can make diagnosis more precise and treatment planning safer.

For cardiovascular care, digital twin technology can be especially powerful. It may help doctors test interventions, understand individual patient risks and reduce complications during treatment. By combining clinical data, imaging and computational modelling, digital twins can support non-invasive diagnostics and personalised care.

The centre will also support rural healthcare delivery and work towards building a national cardiac biobank. This is important because many patients in rural India face delays in diagnosis and treatment due to limited access to specialised care. If advanced tools can be made affordable and scalable, they could improve outcomes for a much larger population.

Another key goal is to reduce India’s dependence on imported medical devices. Indigenous medical device development can lower costs, improve accessibility and create technologies that are better suited to Indian hospitals and patients.

YANTRAS: Building the Future of Robotic Surgery in India

The second major centre, supported by BPCL, is the Centre for Next-Gen Technologies for Robotic Assisted Surgeries, known as YANTRAS. This centre will focus on robotic-assisted surgeries in areas such as joint, spine and neuro procedures.

Robotic surgery is one of the most advanced areas of modern healthcare. It allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater precision, improved control and smaller incisions. This can lead to faster recovery, reduced pain and better surgical outcomes for patients.

The YANTRAS centre is equipped with 34 advanced systems that will support training, simulation, validation and product development. This makes it a crucial platform not only for research but also for preparing the next generation of surgeons and medical technology innovators.

One of the most important goals of the centre is to support indigenous product development in surgical robotics. Currently, many robotic surgery systems are expensive and imported. This limits their availability, especially in smaller hospitals and public healthcare settings. India needs locally developed systems that are affordable, adaptable and reliable.

YANTRAS can help bridge this gap by supporting startups, researchers and medical professionals working on robotic surgical solutions. The centre can become a space where new devices are tested, validated and improved before they are deployed in real clinical settings.

Robotic surgery also has strong potential when combined with artificial intelligence, haptics and digital twin planning. AI can help analyse surgical data, haptics can improve touch-based feedback for surgeons, and digital twins can help plan procedures in advance. Together, these technologies could transform complex surgeries such as spinal and neurological operations.

By building capabilities in this field, IIT Madras and BPCL are helping India move closer to medical self-reliance in one of the most demanding areas of healthcare technology.

Clean Energy with Circular Thinking

The third centre, backed by HSBC, is the Centre for Resource Efficiency, Recyclability & Circularity in Energy Transition. Its mission is to develop technologies and systems that support India’s clean energy transition while making better use of resources.

As India moves towards a lower-carbon economy, the demand for renewable energy, electric mobility and sustainable manufacturing will continue to grow. However, clean energy technologies also require materials, minerals, batteries and large-scale infrastructure. If these resources are not managed efficiently, they can create new environmental and economic challenges.

This is where circularity becomes important. A circular economy focuses on keeping materials in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, recycling and recovery. Instead of discarding resources after one cycle, circular systems try to extract maximum value from them.

The HSBC-supported centre will work on scalable and accessible solutions for resource efficiency. This may include improving material recovery, reducing waste, designing recyclable systems and developing business models that support long-term resource use.

For sectors such as power, manufacturing and mobility, circularity can reduce costs and environmental impact. It can also make India’s energy transition more secure by lowering dependence on newly extracted raw materials.

The centre’s work aligns with India’s climate goals and the broader need for sustainable growth. By developing technologies that make clean energy more affordable and less resource-intensive, IIT Madras can contribute to both economic development and environmental protection.

Why These Centres Matter for India

The launch of these three centres shows how universities can become engines of national transformation when they collaborate with industry. Each centre addresses a major challenge: heart disease, advanced surgical capability and sustainable energy transition.

What makes these centres especially important is their focus on practical impact. They are not limited to academic research alone. They combine research, product development, training, startup support and real-world deployment. This approach can help move innovations from the laboratory to hospitals, industries and communities.

IIT Madras has already built a strong reputation in engineering, biomedical research, digital health and deep-tech innovation. These new centres strengthen that legacy and connect it to India’s larger priorities, including affordable healthcare, medical self-reliance, clean energy and climate resilience.

The Technology Summit also saw the launch of Bodhan AI, a Centre of Excellence supported by the Ministry of Education. Bodhan AI will build the Bharat EduAI Stack and aims to train over one million teachers in AI-enabled teaching by 2027. This reflects IIT Madras’ broader vision of not just creating advanced technologies, but also building the talent and education ecosystem needed to use them effectively.

Conclusion

With support from NTPC, BPCL and HSBC, IIT Madras is creating a powerful platform for innovation in healthcare, surgery and sustainable energy. The NTPC Centre for Cardiovascular Research can help improve heart care through India-specific research and digital twin technology. The BPCL-backed YANTRAS centre can advance robotic surgery and support indigenous medical robotics. The HSBC-supported circular energy centre can strengthen India’s clean energy transition through resource efficiency and recyclability.

Together, these initiatives show how academic excellence and industry collaboration can address real-world problems at scale. For India, this could mean better health outcomes, smarter surgical systems, stronger clean-energy technologies and a more self-reliant innovation ecosystem.

FAQs

1. What are the three new centres launched by IIT Madras?

IIT Madras has launched the NTPC Centre for Cardiovascular Research, the BPCL Centre for Next-Gen Technologies for Robotic Assisted Surgeries, also called YANTRAS, and the HSBC Centre for Resource Efficiency, Recyclability & Circularity in Energy Transition.

2. Who are the industry partners supporting these IIT Madras centres?

The three centres are supported by NTPC Limited, BPCL and HSBC. Each partner is backing a centre focused on a specific national priority: heart health, robotic surgery and clean-energy circularity.

3. What will the NTPC Centre for Cardiovascular Research focus on?

The NTPC Centre will focus on cardiovascular disease research, India-specific genetic risk factors, digital twin-based cardiac simulations, indigenous medical devices, rural healthcare delivery and clinical translation.

4. What is the purpose of the BPCL YANTRAS centre?

The YANTRAS centre will work on next-generation robotic-assisted surgery technologies. It will support training, simulation, validation, startup incubation and indigenous product development in surgical robotics.

5. Why is the HSBC circular energy centre important?

The HSBC-supported centre will focus on resource efficiency, recyclability and circularity in India’s energy transition. Its work can help reduce waste, improve material recovery and support sustainable clean-energy systems.

Tvasta, a Chennai-based startup founded by IIT Madras alumni in 2016, has been working at the intersection of robotics, automation and construction 3D printing. With Cedar, the company is now taking its technology to a global stage. The printer has been designed and manufactured in India and is being positioned for deployment across international markets, including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

At a time when the global construction industry is looking for faster, more affordable and more sustainable building methods, Cedar aims to solve some of the biggest challenges faced by developers and contractors. These include high material costs, labour dependency, long project timelines, construction waste and limited access to scalable automation.

A Make in India Innovation for the World

Cedar is more than just a new construction machine. It is a strong example of Make in India moving from research and development into real-world global deployment. Tvasta’s journey began with the goal of using additive manufacturing to transform how buildings and infrastructure are created.

Cedar has been designed to address these barriers. By combining Indian engineering, AI-based material optimisation and a scalable printing platform, Tvasta and 14Trees are trying to make 3D concrete printing more practical for mainstream construction projects.

What Makes Cedar Different?

One of Cedar’s most important features is its portal-frame architecture. This structure makes the printer suitable for large construction sites and allows it to support projects across residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure categories.

The printer can reach up to 10 metres in printing height and has an extendable footprint of up to 240 square metres. This gives construction companies the flexibility to use it for different types of projects, including homes, offices, technical facilities, industrial structures and infrastructure components.

Another major advantage is cost. Cedar offers printing volumes comparable to many existing large-format 3D construction printers, but at nearly half the capital investment. This is significant because high upfront cost has often been one of the biggest reasons construction companies hesitate to adopt 3D printing technology.

By reducing the entry barrier, Cedar can help more developers, contractors and public sector agencies explore automated construction.

Printing With Real Concrete

A major breakthrough in Cedar is its ability to print with real concrete instead of relying only on specialised mortar-based mixes. Many construction 3D printers depend on costly mortar materials, which can make projects expensive and limit the use of locally available resources.

Cedar is designed to work with standard concrete formulations. This can reduce material costs by up to 5x, making 3D concrete printing more affordable and practical for large-scale construction.

The ability to use real concrete also improves local adaptability. Construction projects across different countries and regions often depend on materials available nearby. By supporting locally sourced concrete formulations, Cedar can help reduce transportation costs, improve supply chain efficiency and lower the environmental impact of projects.

AI Companion for Smarter Construction

Cedar is not just a hardware platform. It is supported by the 14Trees AI Companion, a digital platform that helps optimise material performance using local resources. The AI Companion analyses thousands of mix designs to help construction teams balance cost, strength and environmental impact.

This is especially important in construction because project conditions vary widely from one region to another. Local materials, climate, humidity, temperature and structural needs can all affect the performance of concrete.

By using AI to recommend and optimise material mixes, Cedar can help contractors achieve more consistent results. It also supports better decision-making by giving teams data-driven insights before and during the construction process.

This combination of robotics and artificial intelligence gives Cedar a clear advantage in real-world deployment. It is not only designed to print structures, but also to help teams understand how to print them efficiently, safely and economically.

Built by Indian Engineering Talent

Tvasta was founded by IIT Madras alumni and has grown into one of India’s most notable startups in the construction 3D printing space. The company has worked on multiple 3D-printed building projects, including housing, educational facilities, offices and technical infrastructure.

The launch of Cedar shows how Indian deep-tech startups are moving beyond prototypes and pilot projects. They are now building industrial-grade solutions that can compete in global markets.

Tvasta CEO Adithya V S has described Cedar as a platform that brings together advanced manufacturing, robotics and software. The goal is to create a system that can perform reliably across different construction environments.

14Trees CEO Francois Perrot has also highlighted the economic side of the technology. According to him, construction 3D printing must not only be technically proven, but must also make financial sense for contractors and developers. Cedar has been designed with that requirement in mind.

Why Cedar Matters for the Construction Industry

The construction industry is under pressure to deliver projects faster, reduce costs and adopt greener methods. Traditional construction often involves long timelines, material wastage, labour shortages and inconsistent quality. Automation can help address many of these issues.

Cedar’s 3D printing technology can reduce construction time by automating repetitive building processes. It can also improve precision, reduce dependency on manual labour and lower material wastage by placing concrete only where needed.

For developers, this means faster project execution and potentially better cost control. For governments and public sector agencies, it could support faster delivery of housing, schools, community facilities and infrastructure. For emerging markets, it offers a more accessible route to advanced construction technology.

The use of AI for material optimisation also supports sustainability. By improving mix designs and reducing waste, Cedar can help construction firms lower their environmental footprint.

Taking Indian Deep-Tech Global

Cedar’s global deployment strategy is one of the most important parts of this launch. The printer is being positioned for markets across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

This is a strong signal that Indian startups are no longer limited to solving domestic challenges. They are creating globally relevant technologies in areas such as robotics, automation, AI and advanced manufacturing.

For India, Cedar reflects the growing maturity of its deep-tech ecosystem. It also shows how institutions like IIT Madras are helping produce founders and engineers who can build globally competitive products.

The partnership between Tvasta and 14Trees brings together Indian engineering and international construction technology expertise. This can help accelerate adoption by offering end-to-end support, including design optimisation, materials development and on-site delivery.

The Future of Automated Construction

As the construction industry evolves, technologies like Cedar could become central to the future of building. Developers and contractors are increasingly looking for solutions that can improve speed, reduce costs and support sustainable development.

Cedar has the potential to serve as a platform for smarter construction. Its ability to print with real concrete, reduce material costs, support large structures and use AI-based optimisation makes it a practical solution for modern construction needs.

While construction 3D printing is still an emerging field, Cedar’s launch marks a significant step toward wider adoption. It brings together the key elements needed for scale: affordability, flexibility, AI support, material compatibility and global deployment readiness.

For Tvasta, this is a major milestone. For India, it is another example of homegrown innovation entering the global stage. For the construction industry, Cedar could become an important tool in the shift toward faster, greener and more automated building methods.

FAQs

1. What is Cedar by Tvasta and 14Trees?

Cedar is an AI-ready 3D concrete printer developed by Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions in partnership with 14Trees. It is designed for large-scale construction automation and global deployment.

2. Why is Cedar important for construction 3D printing?

Cedar reduces the cost barrier for construction 3D printing by offering large-format printing capabilities at lower capital investment. It can also print with real concrete, which helps reduce material costs.

3. What is the printing capacity of Cedar?

Cedar can reach up to 10 metres in printing height and has an extendable footprint of up to 240 square metres, making it suitable for residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects.

4. How does AI help Cedar perform better?

Cedar is supported by the 14Trees AI Companion, which analyses thousands of concrete mix designs. It helps optimise cost, strength and environmental performance using locally available materials.

5. Why is Cedar considered a Make in India success story?

Cedar has been designed and manufactured in India by Tvasta, a startup founded by IIT Madras alumni. Its global deployment plans show how Indian deep-tech innovation can compete in international construction markets.