MeitY Secretary Lays Foundation for SAMEER High-Power Microwave Facility at IIT Guwahati

Union Secretary for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), S Krishnan, on Tuesday, laid the foundation stone for a new building of the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. The facility will house the SAMEER–MeitY Guwahati Centre for High Power Microwave Tube and Component Technology.

The initiative marks a significant step in MeitY’s push to strengthen advanced and strategic electronic technologies through close collaboration between national R&D institutions and premier academic centres. The proposed research facility is aimed at enabling India to achieve self-reliance in denied strategic technologies, particularly in the domain of high-power microwave systems.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony was attended by Dr P Hanumantha Rao, Director General of SAMEER; Prof Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati; Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY; and Monaj Kumar Jain, Group Coordinator, MeitY, among other senior officials.

Addressing the gathering, S Krishnan said MeitY is actively supporting research in advanced technologies under multiple schemes to promote collaboration among academia, industry and R&D organisations. He noted that SAMEER is engaged in highly niche research across both strategic and civilian domains, developing advanced, reliable and user-oriented solutions with global competitiveness. Emphasising that most SAMEER centres are co-located with or situated near premier academic institutions, he urged the organisation to fully leverage this advantage through joint research and development initiatives with faculty and researchers.

Referring to the Memorandum of Understanding between SAMEER and IIT Guwahati, Krishnan said the collaboration focuses on the development of high-power microwave components. He assured full support from MeitY to realise this objective and expressed confidence that the Guwahati centre would evolve into a national-level resource for high-power microwave research and testing.

Dr P Hanumantha Rao, Director General of SAMEER, said the upcoming centre at IIT Guwahati would significantly strengthen SAMEER’s activities through focused research and development in high-power active and passive devices. He pointed out that while SAMEER has been working on Linear Accelerator (LINAC) technologies for medical and strategic applications, critical high-power microwave sources and components are currently sourced from global original equipment manufacturers. Stressing the need for indigenous solutions for strategic and defence sectors, he said the new facility would bolster domestic R&D and advanced manufacturing capabilities, while also serving as a hub for cutting-edge research, industry collaboration and capacity building in the North-Eastern region.

IIT Guwahati Director Prof Devendra Jalihal said the full-fledged SAMEER building would substantially expand developmental work in high-power microwave components. He highlighted the importance of strengthening collaboration through scholar exchange programmes, internships and joint supervision of students. Prof Jalihal noted that technology denial in high-power microwave devices presents an opportunity to accelerate indigenous development and assured IIT Guwahati’s full support for the timely completion of the project. He also suggested expanding SAMEER Guwahati’s activities into advanced RF technologies, including 6G and healthcare systems.

Monaj Kumar Jain, Group Coordinator at MeitY, said SAMEER Guwahati is working in a highly specialised and challenging technological domain that requires strong design capabilities, repeated validation, and rigorous attention to reliability and safety. He noted that the establishment of permanent infrastructure marks a major milestone for the centre, as a dedicated facility is crucial for sustained research, experimentation and safe testing of complex systems. He added that the new building would significantly enhance SAMEER Guwahati’s capacity to undertake advanced research in a structured and efficient manner.