The North-Eastern region of India lies in one of the most seismically active and geoenvironmentally fragile zones of the country. Coupled with complex tectonic settings, intense rainfall, frequent landslides, climate-induced deterioration, aging infrastructure, and rapid infrastructure development, the region faces serious challenges in ensuring the safety, resilience, and sustainability of the built environment. Further, India’s revised Earthquake Design Code (2025) represents a paradigm shift in seismic risk assessment by introducing a new highest-risk seismic classification for the Himalayan arc, including the North-Eastern region

In this context, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has gained national importance as a sciencedriven approach for performance assessment, early damage detection, risk mitigation, and life-cycle management of infrastructure. SHM integrates sensing technologies, non-destructive evaluation, data analytics, and performance-based engineering to support informed decision-making for infrastructure safety and disaster resilience

In alignment with national priorities such as disaster risk reduction, resilient infrastructure, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and sustainable development, NIT Meghalaya recognizes the pressing regional need for establishing a dedicated Centre for Integrated Structural Health Monitoring and Solutions.

The Centre is envisioned to function as a regional centre of excellence, addressing the specific challenges of the North-Eastern region while contributing to national SHM research and implementation efforts. It aims to undertake need-based research, technology development, and translational consultancy, with a focus on structures subjected to seismic actions, environmental degradation, and extreme climatic conditions.

Through close collaboration with government agencies, infrastructure authorities, academic institutions, and industry, the Centre will support structural assessment, safety evaluation, retrofitting strategies, and post-disaster investigations. By integrating research, consultancy, and capacity building, the Centre aspires to strengthen infrastructure resilience and promote evidence-based infrastructure management in the North-East and across the country.