IIT-M celebrates 66th institute day

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) celebrated its 66th institute day on Wednesday.

Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, chief executive officer of Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), said the ANRF’s goal was to be the apex of innovation and collaboration, and drive the next generation of the country’s human capital.

The Foundation would support mission-oriented moonshot projects with directed research and innovations, the 1993-batch B. Tech graduate in Computer Science from the institute said, adding that the ANRF aimed to catalyse the private sector to invest more in research and development.

IIT-M Director V. Kamakoti announced that the institute would soon have incubators for quantum technology, fintech and sustainability.

The institute had also launched a structured programme to help students prepare effectively for the UPSC examinations, he added.

At the event, donations from students’ festivals Saarang and Shaastra were distributed to select organisations. Awards recognising research and teaching excellence, and to young alumni achievers were presented. The institute also announced its list of 10 distinguished alumni awardees, who include S. Somnath, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation; Vellayan Subbiah, executive chairman, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance; Srinivasan Natarajan, professor at the Indian Institute of Science; Sreenivas Subramoney, Intel Fellow, Intel Technology India; and B. K. Kameswara Rao, Director, GMR Airports Developers, from India. The other distinguished awardees are Ramesh K. Sitaraman, Distinguished University Professor and Associate Dean, University of Massachusetts Amherst, the U.S.; Sandhya Dwarkadas, Walter N. Munster Professor and Chair, University of Virginia, the U.S.; Vijay Narayanan, IBM Fellow & Senior Manager, IBM, the U.S.; Ramesh Srinivasan, Senior Partner, Mckinsey & Company, the U.S.; and Jaishree Deshpande, Founder, Deshpande Foundation, the U.S.