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Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) celebrated its 66th Institute Day in the campus yesterday (23rd April 2025) with students, faculty, alumni, teaching and non-teaching staff. This occasion was also utilized to honour extraordinary achievers among faculty, researchers, students and the alumni.
While the institute scaled numerous heights in the last one year, a major feat was the unparalleled achievement of being ranked No.1 in ‘Overall’ Category for the sixth consecutive year in NIRF Rankings of the Govt. of India and in ‘Engineering Institutions’ category for nine consecutive years – from 2016 to 2024.
The Chief Guest for the occasion was Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Chief Executive Officer, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), who is a 1993 Batch (B.Tech in Computer Science) student of IIT Madras. For his immense accomplishments in the field of technology and business, IIT Madras had conferred the Distinguished Alumnus Award upon Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman in 2021.
Set up under an Act of Parliament in 2023, the ANRF aims to seed, grow and promote R&D and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. ANRF will act as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Chief Executive Officer, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), said, “The ANRF was first conceived in the National Education Policy 2020 but there were further deliberations which led to the Act in 2023. One of the special attributes of this Foundation is that the Chairperson in the Hon’ble Prime Minister, which brings out the importance of this institution. The ANRF is envisaged to be one of the pillars of Viksit Bharat 2047. The goal of the foundation is to be the apex of innovation and collaboration and drive the formation of the next generation of India's human capital.”
Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman added, “This institution derives inspiration from institutions across the world including NRF and DARPA in the U.S. We have a special mandate for both public and private institutions. We will be supporting mission-oriented moonshot projects with directed research and directed innovations. The pathway from fundamental research to applied research through the innovation valley of death is arduous but I am delighted to see the innovation ecosystem at IIT Madras. We will be doing programs to support deep-tech start-ups and innovation.”
Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman said, “Another different aspect of ANRF is that we have been directed to catalyse the private sector to invest more in R&D. The aggregate investment is 0.7% of the GDP. If I want to increase the aggregate investment, it is the non-governmental sector that invests lot more in R&D and we do not find that in India. We will do our maximum to both aggregate capital from multiple sources and also work with them to govern capital in new ways.”
Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman is an exceptional technology and business executive who has had a tremendous impact measured in the hundreds of millions of US dollars across many countries, including India, APAC (Australia, Brunei, Singapore, and Malaysia), USA, Middle East and Europe. He was an Executive General Manager at GE Power Conversion in Bangalore, focusing on launching new businesses in e-Mobility and Distributed Solar for the company. He also served as Chief Scientist at IBM Research in Australia, working on natural resources, supply chains, and clean energy.
Delivering the Presidential Address, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Last academic year has been both challenging and rewarding, including the conferring of Padma Shri on Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, BoG, IIT Madras and IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Awardee Shri Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, U.S. National Research Foundation. Our BS in Data Science and Applications program has been a major success with three students securing top positions in the top 10 of the GATE DA Paper, including AIR 1.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “In the 57th Inter-IIT Sports Meet, IIT Madras Women Contingent clinched the first place. Gone are the days when jobs were the only option for students. The newly-inaugurated Career Pathway Centre provides students with comprehensive career guidance. Students explore multiple career path options including jobs in industry, civil services, higher studies and entrepreneurship. During 2023-24 Academic Year, 95 per cent of our students had chosen their career paths as on July 31, 2024. Further, the institute will soon have incubators for quantum technology, fintech and sustainability. Towards Viksit Bharat 2047, we want many of our Alumni to join the civil services and contribute to the growth of the nation. We have launched a structure program to help our students prepare effectively for UPSC.”
Donations from the students festivals Saarang and Shaastra were also distributed to the selected organizations during the event.