Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pune Infrastructure: Library, Auditorium & Other Facilities

Ayesha Taneem

Infrastructure

Because a sound infrastructure set-up can alone deliver excellence in the quality of work, no stone has been left unturned in ensuring that the expression world class in the best sense of the term is particularly apt to the infrastructure of VSI.

VSI has created an impressive infrastructure that includes the following;

• An administrative building housing well-equipped auditorium with a seating capacity of 300, a contemporary seminar hall with a seating capacity of 100, a well-equipped boardroom and an open-air theatre.

• Two R&D buildings (92,000 sq. ft.) housing modern laboratories of agriculture, chemistry, sugar technology, alcohol technology, electronics & computer and instrumentation divisions.

• State-of-the-art laboratories of molecular biology and genetic engineering (10,000 sq. ft.) with a greenhouse (2,000 sq. ft.).

• Contemporary sugarcane tissue culture laboratory – the biggest of its kind in the country (15,000 sq. ft.) with greenhouses (16,000 sq. ft.).

• Student’s laboratories (69,000 sq. ft.).

• An engineering workshop (15,000 sq. ft.) and a chemical pilot plant (2,000 sq. ft.).

• Student’s hostel and guest-house (55,000 sq. ft.).

• Residential accommodation for employees (VSI Housing) including a Director’s bungalow (41,000 sq. ft.).

• A rich and well-equipped library houses over 18,000 books and other reference materials.

• A well equipped and state-of-the-art computer centre that caters the needs of users including students.

• A bio-fertilizer plant (8,750 sq. ft.) with a capacity of 500 tons per annum and vermi-sheds (5,800 sq. ft.).

• Research and experimental farms (Farms at Manjari, Subhash, Naigaon, Amboli) including nurseries and orchids (376 acres) alongwith a check dam. The Institute planned a major expansion of research farms by purchasing around 115 acres of land at Lonarwadi.

An all weather helipad.
VSI is the only organization in Asia and probably in the World to have such a formidable infrastructure exclusively for sugarcane and sugar research and the personnel to manage it