Polity
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday visited the IIT-Madras and interacted with start-ups from the prestigious institution. The IIT-Madras was established with assistance from his country. Steinmeier took time to interact with start-ups that have designed solar-electric hybrid three wheelers, an innovative wheelchair for people with disability and elderly; 3D printers with special focus on carbon fiber products; and compact underwater robots that can conduct environmental survey. The start-ups, who had designed their products at the IIT-Madras Incubation Cell, gave a demonstrations to the German president. Sources said he was "impressed" with the start-ups and lauded them for their contribution to science and technology. Later, Steinmeier visited the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) inside the IIT Research Park. IIT-Madras was established in 1959 after the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru signed an agreement with Germany to set up a higher tec...