Indian Institute of Technology- Madras will create a centre of excellence to train off-highway design engineers, with financial assistance from a US company.

The Centre will be called Caterpillar Centre of Excellence for off-highway engineering and would come under the Department of Engineering Design, IIT.

Caterpillar Inc's President (Asia Pacific Operations) Rich Lavin handed over a cheque for $2.5 lakh to IIT-M Director M S Ananth.

The laboratory will help the students here have a hands on experience in the design of heavy structures used in the construction, mining and earthmoving industries, Lavin said.

Globalisation had changed a lot in the world in the last five years, Ananth said adding universities were no more exclusive centres of knowledge.

"Fundamentals of science is better in the industry and we are looking forward to more interaction with industries in this regard," he said.