BHUBANESWAR: Officials said on Tuesday that the Odisha government has agreed to invest Rs 1500 crore over three years to completely rebuild the Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR) in Bhubaneswar.
The master plan for the renovation of the OUTR, formerly known as the College of Engineering and Technology, was approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday. The state wants to bring the university up to par with prestigious technological schools like IIT.

According to officials, the institution will cost Rs 1,000 crore in the first year alone. OUTR now has 4,600 students enrolled, but it will be expanded to accommodate 10,000 students over the next five years. The Odisha CM recommended the competent officials to establish the institute as one of the premier institutions in the field of technical education and research by reviewing the available infrastructure, management, and teaching facilities.

The university will establish a Center of Excellence to offer new courses on cutting-edge technology and to enhance human resource development and cross-departmental research. The university will also form relationships with national and international institutions to provide high-quality teaching and research, according to officials.
In addition, an Incubation Center will be built in conjunction with a various prominent companies to promote startup culture and entrepreneurial spirit among students.

The College of Engineering and Technology (CET) was founded in 1981 and moved to a permanent campus on 100 acres in Ghatikia in 2001. In 2021, it was upgraded to a university and renamed Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR). It is Odisha's sole institution to get a "A" from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

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