Overview
- IIT Madras announced the IITM Global Research Foundation with government backing, kicking off a drive to expand its presence and partnerships outside India.
- The rollout featured MoUs across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia, plus a set of agreements under an India-for-Global track.
- Initial international centres are planned in locations including the United States, Dubai, Malaysia and Germany, with operational setup and investment attraction identified as next steps.
- Partnerships named at the launch include Technische Universität Dresden, Carl Zeiss, Durham University, Rutgers University, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, ASEM and GATES APAC, with IIT Madras to host Carl Zeiss’ first innovation hub outside Germany.
- Director V. Kamakoti outlined four pillars for IITM Global: taking institute technologies abroad, executing joint development projects, opening overseas markets to IITM startups, and drawing foreign capital into the innovation ecosystem, while S. Jaishankar also reaffirmed India’s position that Arunachal Pradesh remains part of India.