Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Chandigarh, today signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), marking a significant step towards strengthening industry–academia collaboration and enhancing advanced research facilities at the institute.

The MoA was signed in the august presence of senior officials from IOCL, including Mr. Arif Akhtar, General Manager (CSR)/PSO; Mr. Anjani Kumar, SIBH, PSO; Mr. Dushyant Singh, DIBH, CDO; and Mr. Alok Kumar, Senior Manager (IB), CDO and Er. Rajiv Gupta, IAS, Labour Commissioner and Director Transport Punjab. Representing PEC were Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, Director, PEC; Prof. Arun Kumar Singh; Dr. Deepak Kumar; Dr. Simranjit Singh; Dr. Gourab Das, Dr. Jaskirat Kaur; and Dr. Jasbir Kaur.

Under the MoA, IOCL has extended CSR support amounting to ₹10.77 lakh for the R&D project titled “Fabrication and Development of Thin Film Transistors Based Gas Sensors.” The grant will be utilized for the procurement of an Advanced Optical Microscope for the Semiconductor Research Centre at PEC, thereby significantly augmenting the institute’s research and innovation capabilities.

At the outset, Prof. Arun Kumar Singh presented the key details of the MoA and highlighted the objectives and scope of the sponsored research project. Addressing the gathering, Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, Director, PEC, emphasized that such collaborations with leading public sector enterprises like IOCL play a crucial role in strengthening PEC’s research ecosystem and expanding state-of-the-art facilities for faculty and students alike.

The collaboration reflects PEC’s continued commitment to cutting-edge research, innovation, and meaningful partnerships with industry for societal and technological advancement.