Pune: SPPU eyeing industry tie-ups to fund researches, projects

In talks with firms to revive water tanks, introduce green vehicles

SPPU campus

The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is eyeing greater industry partnerships and long-term associations with companies that would extend their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to support research, projects and academic activities at the university.

With an eye on self-sustenance, the university, in its latest annual budget for 2019-2020, had plugged many “unwanted” expenses — to the tune of Rs 47 crore — while tabling a budgetary sum of Rs 632.61 crore. Similar measures had also been undertaken in the past two academic years.

In the current academic year, officials said, the university has developed parallel models to fund several activities of the university, one of them being roping in CSR funds.

“While we have not cut the budgets by big sums, our efforts are towards making efficient use of the allocated sums. We are in talks with companies who are keen to partner for some of the projects,” a senior official from SPPU said.

In the recent months, the Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) had offered to operate CNG-run 14-seater vehicles and support the existing transport facility on a campus, spanning across 411 acres.

“Two such vehicles will be introduced to ferry students and others within the campus. The MNGL has agreed to invest a sum anywhere between Rs 30 lakh to 35 lakh for this,” SPPU vice-chancellor Nitin Karmalkar told The Indian Express.

Kirloskar Cummins will be engaging with the SPPU in helping the campus improve its water storing capacities even as some of the existing tanks are in need for immediate upgradation. The company, SPPU officials said, will extend around Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh to revive the existing water tanks that were abandoned and rendered useless long ago. “One of the water tanks, built by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, has been out of operations for many years now. Now, we are working on ways to revive these tanks,” Karmalkar said.

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The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is yet another company that has recently agreed to invest Rs 35 lakh to supply biofuel required to operate vehicles, including the soon to be launched 14-seater, on the SPPU campus.

Exide, which works in the field of batteries, too, has partnered with the SPPU to initiate research on improving the efficiency of batteries. The company has so far agreed to provide Rs 35 lakh for carrying out joint researches.

Highlighting that a world-class sports arena is under construction on the campus, Karmalkar said its maintenance will pose a bigger challenge in future. Hence, the university, he said, was evaluating the possibility of outsourcing the operations to some company. “Erecting infrastructure comes with a significant cost in itself, besides they also require huge sums towards maintenance. We are presently considering to tie up with companies, which would work and help us maintain in the up-keep of these facilities,” Karmalkar said.

Several in-house utilities and facilities are also likely to be outsourced.