NewzVille Desk
Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister recently launched ‘IITM Global Research Foundation’, a landmark international initiative of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras).
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, Mr. Mr. Madhav Narayan, CEO, IIT Madras Global Research Foundation, were also present during the launch along with faculty, researchers, students and other stakeholders.
It is a significant milestone in IIT Madras’ journey to become the world’s first multinational university, positioning the institute as a globally-networked hub for education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Building on this strong foundation, IITM Global has been conceived as a strategic, sustainable and scalable platform to take IIT Madras’s academic, research and innovation strengths to the global stage.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. S. Jaishankar said, “We have limitations on our resources. With limited resources how do you have maximum impact? that is actually the problem that has to be solved. What we try to do in Indian Foreign Policy and diplomacy today is solve that problem. We try to do that partly using our competitiveness and strengths and leveraging other institutions and possibilities.”
“An IIT Madras Campus in Tanzania is a way by which Indian Foreign Policy has leveraged the capabilities of an Institution here to make a huge impact”, headded.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “IITM Global Research Foundation is a global outreach initiative of IIT Madras aimed at strengthening international collaborations. It follows a four-pronged approach. First, we aim to take our technologies abroad and explore opportunities for technology transfer across different countries. Second, we plan to bring projects from these nations under joint development agreements, enabling our faculty to work on and provide solutions to global challenges. Third, we aim to introduce our start-ups to business opportunities in these countries. Fourth, we aim to attract foreign investments into our start-ups.”
“These four verticals form the core focus of IITM Global. Initially, we are establishing a presence in five locations, including the United States, Dubai, Malaysia and Germany. Based on success, this initiative will be expanded to multiple nations”, he added.
About IITM Global
IITM Global is designed as a dynamic ‘plug-and-play’ framework that enables deep-tech innovators, researchers, startups and industry partners to access global markets, capital and research opportunities.
By integrating local context with international engagement, the platform aims to catalyse innovation-led growth while fostering high-impact collaborations with global industry and R&D partners.
Anchored in IIT Madras’ world-class faculty, advanced infrastructure and strong industry linkages, IITM Global seeks to drive innovation and entrepreneurship with a clear focus on societal impact.
The initiative is structured around four core pillars that underpin global engagement: nurturing a vibrant startup ecosystem to accelerate commercialisation and scale-up; delivering globally recognised academic programmes, including online courses and training for international learners; advancing cutting-edge research and consultancy across domains such as Data Science and AI, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity and Blockchain, Space Technology and Advanced Mobility, Energy and Water Sustainability, Health Tech and Green Tech; and enabling IP commercialisation and technology transfer to drive economic development.
Widely recognised as India’s leading institution for higher education, IIT Madras is ranked 1 Overall and No. 1 in Engineering Institute in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for several consecutive years, and ranked 180 in the QS World University Rankings besides ranked 56 in the QS Asian University Rankings.
IIT Madras, with 18 academic departments, 15 Centres of Excellence, 23 research centres and nearly 100 advanced laboratories is one of the most comprehensive R&D ecosystems in the world.
Supported by over 650 faculty members and a student community of more than 10,000, the institute’s industry-connected research culture provides a strong base for meaningful global collaboration.
