The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) inaugurated its Metaverse Zone facility at Rethink! The Tinkering Lab last week. This pioneering initiative has been made possible through the generous support of the Alumni Batch of 1981, underscoring their enduring commitment to technological innovation and future-ready education.
The Metaverse Zone is a cutting-edge facility equipped with advanced extended reality (XR) tools, including full-body haptic suits, gesture-recognition gloves, 360° cameras, VR headsets, 3D LiDAR scanners, and high-performance computing systems. Powered by industry-standard platforms like Unity, Unreal Engine, Maya, Blender, and Adobe Suite, the zone enables students and researchers to build, interact with, and test hyper-realistic virtual environments.
This Metaverse Zone will serve as a dynamic platform for a range of transformative applications, including immersive simulations in areas such as infrastructure development, disaster response, smart city planning & many more. It will enable virtual product design and rapid prototyping, fostering innovation from concept to creation. The facility also supports remote, high-fidelity collaboration across disciplines, breaking geographical barriers in research and education. Additionally, it offers realistic training environments for safety-critical domains, enhancing preparedness and decision-making. With a strong emphasis on advanced research in human-computer interaction and digital twin systems, the zone positions IIT Roorkee at the forefront of next-generation experiential learning and innovation.
The inauguration ceremony saw several dignitaries who played key roles in this set up. The presence of distinguished representatives from the 1981 Alumni Batch, including Shri Alok K Agarwal, Shri Sanjay Randhar, Shri Sharad Bajpayee, Shri Pankaj Rastogi, Shri Rakesh Verma, and Shri Narendra Singh, reinforced the enduring alumni support that made this visionary facility possible. The event was further enriched by the efforts of Prof. Karun Rawat, Coordinator of Rethink! The Tinkering Lab, and Mrs. Sonika Srivastava, Media Cell Incharge.
Prof. Akshay Dvivedi, Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC), and Prof. R.D. Garg, Dean of Resources and Alumni Affairs (DORA), delivered inspiring addresses highlighting the strategic importance of the Metaverse Zone in advancing interdisciplinary research and fostering industry-academia collaboration. Alongside them, Prof. Sai Ramudu Meka, Associate Dean of Corporate Interactions, and Prof. Vivek Kumar Malik, Associate Dean of Industrial Interactions, underscored IIT Roorkee’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technologies into education and innovation.
Speaking about the occasion, Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, stated, “The Metaverse Zone at IIT Roorkee represents a bold step into the future of education. It creates a powerful ecosystem for immersive learning and research, allowing our students and faculty to solve complex challenges using cutting-edge digital tools.”
Mr. Alok K Agarwal, representative from the 1981 Alumni Batch added, “We are proud to support a facility that blends creativity, technology, and purpose. This zone will inspire the next generation to think beyond boundaries and lead global innovation from Indian soil.”
The initiative was led and coordinated by Prof. Karun Rawat, Coordinator of Rethink! The Tinkering Lab, who has played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and executing the vision of this facility. His efforts have ensured seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies with academic and research objectives, offering immense potential for interdisciplinary innovation.
Founded in 1847, IIT Roorkee is Asia’s oldest engineering college. With over 175 years of legacy, it has evolved into a globally recognized centre for excellence in science, technology, and research.
