Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, in association with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) announced the successful conduct of the Symposium on Underwater Welding, Offshore Repair & Additive Manufacturing held at the IIT Guwahati on 22 November 2025. The event was graced by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, whose presence added immense significance to the occasion.

The ceremony featured the certificate distribution for the second batch of the Underwater Welding (UWW) Programme, a joint initiative of IRS and IIT Guwahati. The Underwater Welding Programme is a highly specialised and unique initiative in India, aimed at developing trained and certified professionals in an area critical to offshore repair, subsea construction, and maritime infrastructure. This pioneering programme reaffirms IRS’s commitment to supporting capability-building in emerging technical domains.

The primary goal of the programme is to develop qualified manpower capable of performing underwater welding with high precision and reliability. While acknowledging existing challenges in mastering this niche domain, IRS expressed strong confidence that these can be overcome through sustained effort, innovation, and structured training.

Dr Asokendu Samanta Divisional Head R&D, IRS emphasised the importance of cohesive collaboration between academic institutions and industry bodies to drive national progress. “For a country to advance, academia and industry must work together seamlessly. This partnership between a premier institution like IIT Guwahati and IRS, stands as an exemplary model for developing specialised programmes of national relevance.”

Prof. Devendra Jalihal Director, IIT Guwahati said “This programme marks a meaningful step forward in strengthening India’s underwater engineering capabilities and contributes to the broader vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) articulated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister”.