New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Directorate of Naval Architecture (DNA), Indian Navy, on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a research and design centre aimed at improving the Quality of Life (QoL) onboard Indian naval ships through design interventions.

The MoU was signed by Rear Admiral Arvind Rawal, Assistant Chief of Materiel (Dockyard and Refit), Indian Navy, and IIT Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee.

Under the agreement, IIT Delhi researchers will assess safety, efficiency, and habitability across ongoing and future ship construction projects and provide design inputs. The institute will analyse existing Indian Navy ship designs, benchmark them against international standards, and identify areas for improvement in ergonomics, comfort, efficiency, safety, and user experience.

“Systematic identification of improvement areas in existing ship designs and articulation of new design interventions to make Indian Navy designs ahead among comparisons will be part of the joint efforts,” the statement said.

The collaboration aims to enhance QoL onboard naval ships, with potential applications extending to the mercantile marine and other Indian maritime contexts.

Rear Admiral Rawal said, “The MoU marks a significant step forward in our shared endeavour to make Indian warships not just formidable in combat but also exemplary in terms of crew comfort, efficiency, and habitability. Through this partnership, we are joining hands with one of the nation's premier academic institutions to build subject matter expertise in crew-centric warship design.”

He added that the initiative introduces a scientific, process-based approach to habitability, integrating ergonomics, human factors, and design optimisation into naval architecture.