IIT Delhi Sonipat Campus Launches Solar Diploma with Europe Internship
IIT Delhi's Sonipat campus starts its first academic programme: a solar systems diploma with a Europe internship, in partnership with ISA and INES.
The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has launched its first academic programme at the Sonipat campus: a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Solar Systems and Management. The course began on September 3 with nine international fellows from eight countries.
The programme is offered by IIT Delhi's Department of Energy Science and Engineering in collaboration with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and France's Institut National de l'Energie Solaire (INES). It is sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Designed as a hands-on course, the diploma focuses on solar technology and its applications. Participants will receive training from IIT Delhi faculty, academic experts, and industry professionals. The aim is to build skills in solar energy and prepare fellows to support solar technology deployment in ISA member countries, contributing to broader renewable-energy education and capacity-building efforts.
A key feature is the international exposure: after completing the diploma, fellows will undertake a one-month internship in Europe focused on applied solar technologies. Following the internship, they will be assigned to Solar Technology Application Resource Centres (STAR-C) in their home countries, where they will help develop technical skills and promote wider solar energy use.
The launch marks the first physical teaching programme at the Sonipat campus. Professor Somnath Baidya Roy, Professor-in-Charge of the campus, indicated that more academic programmes are planned there in the coming years. This initiative builds on an existing collaboration between IIT Delhi and ISA in renewable energy, capacity building, academic cooperation, and human-resource development.