IIT Madras and FedEx Launch SMART Centre for AI-Driven Logistics Solutions in Chennai.
National
In August 2025, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) in collaboration with Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), a leading American transportation company, inaugurated the FedEx SMART Centre (Supply Chain Modelling, Algorithms, Research, and Technology Centre) at the IIT-M campus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This initiative is designed to advance Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven, sustainable logistics solutions.
- The FedEx SMART Centre is backed by a 5-year funding support of USD 5 million (approximately Rs 44 crore) from FedEx. This financial assistance will enable IIT Madras researchers and students to collaborate with industry experts to create advanced technological solutions for logistics and supply chain optimization.
- The core function of the centre is to integrate advanced digital tools, algorithm-based research, and industry knowledge to design logistics networks that are flexible, resilient, and environmentally sustainable.
- It will focus on minimizing carbon footprints while enhancing efficiency in supply chain operations across sectors.
Main Point :- (i) The key research areas of the SMART Centre include development of carbon-neutral operations, AI-driven predictive analytics for logistics, Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure integration, autonomous delivery systems, and worker safety systems powered by AI. These areas align with India’s larger goals of sustainable development and technological advancement.
(ii) The establishment of this centre strengthens IIT Madras’s position as a global leader in applied research and innovation. With FedEx’s international expertise in logistics and IIT-M’s academic excellence, the partnership is expected to deliver transformative solutions to challenges in supply chains, particularly in the context of increasing demand for sustainable and digital-first logistics systems worldwide.
(iii) By launching this centre, IIT Madras and FedEx aim to contribute towards building an ecosystem where technology, innovation, and sustainability work together to redefine the future of logistics in India and beyond.
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