Tata helps fund MIT research project

India’s top industrialist Ratan Tata has given US$15 million to fund the research being conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) using water as auto fuel. The project involves generating hydrogen by splitting water and storing it in a safe can to drive an automobile, said Scientist C.N.R Rao. Tata and Nocera, who own the patent, plan to set up a start-up for building a prototype can that can store hydrogen in a compressed form and fit it into a car for use as an alternative fuel. (December 31, 2010)