One of the world’s top-ranked universities, Imperial College London, has launched its new science hub in Bengaluru.

Imperial says that research programmes with Indian partners will focus on helping to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges in areas such as climate change and sustainability, food and water security, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The hub, Imperial Global India*, will strengthen partnerships between Imperial and leading universities and institutes in India, act as a communication channel to form closer ties with industry and policy makers, and provide a platform for greater collaboration in science and technology innovation between India and the UK.

Imperial has recently announced that the hub, which is being established as a Liaison Office, will support joint research projects, long-term collaborations, student scholarships, collaborative PhD programmes and fellowships. The hub is being led by Earth scientist Professor Sanjeev Gupta and biomaterials researcher Dr Elena Dieckmann.

Through the hub Imperial will seek to develop joint projects that leverage the best of UK and India science and innovation, whilst also engaging with joint government priorities in areas ranging from telecoms, critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology and health-tech, and advanced materials.

Imperial already has a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, that is supporting joint research projects in a range of scientific areas, as well as close links with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT).

Imperial academics are collaborating with partners from 400 Indian institutions across India. Top collaborators include the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IISc), Christian Medical College Vellore, the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, IIT Bombay, and IIT Delhi.

Imperial also has a growing number of strong industry connections in India. Imperial and Tata Steel’s Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Design and Manufacturing is developing innovative new manufacturing processes to help decarbonise steel production.

First key initiatives of Imperial Global India:

The India Connect Fund will support up to 25 joint research projects every year between Imperial and partners in India in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, biotech and clean energy.

The Future Leaders Scholarship is Imperial’s biggest ever scholarship programme for Indian scientists and will support 75 STEMB students over the next five years.

The establishment of six high-impact Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Global Faculty Fellowships with the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Indian Institute of Science to develop a London-Bengaluru AI in Science Network.

Investment in a Global Challenge Lab programme to bring together hundreds of UK and Indian students each year to jointly co-create innovative solutions to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Investment in high-impact doctoral training networks in science and technology through a new collaborative PhD programme with the Indian Institute of Science, bringing together UK and Indian PhD students to work on joint research projects. This will be enhanced by a Global Fellows programme facilitating doctoral-level exchanges between leading laboratories in the UK and India.

The hub was formally launched at an event at the Science Gallery Bengaluru where India’s top business leaders, policymakers and scientists discussed ways to expand India-UK partnerships in science, technology and innovation.

Speakers included: N.R. Narayana Murthy, Founder, Infosys Limited; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon Group; Srinath Ravichandran, Cofounder & CEO, Agnikul Cosmos; Dr Anjana Badrinarayanan, Associate Professor at National Centre for Biological Sciences and Schmidt AI in Science Fellow; Vidit Aatrey, CEO and Founder, Meesho; Mr Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka; and Dr M.C. Sudhakar, Honourable Minister for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka.

The event was hosted by Professor Hugh Brady, president of Imperial, Vindi Banga, chair of Imperial’s Council, and Imperial Global India Academic co-directors Professor Sanjeev Gupta and Dr Elena Dieckmann.

On the occasion, Professor Brady said, “Our new science hub Imperial Global India will forge and strengthen links between Imperial and partners in India.

“Through the hub we will support several flagship programmes including research projects, long-term collaborations, student scholarships, collaborative PhD programmes and fellowships in areas such as telecoms, critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology and health-tech, and advanced materials. These initiatives will help deliver solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.”

Imperial is ranked second best university in the world and top in the UK in the latest QS World University rankings. Its strategy, Science for Humanity, aims to establish a network of hubs in strategic global cities to amplify Imperial’s impact. Imperial Global India will join the Imperial Global network of hubs in Singapore, San Francisco, USA and Accra, Ghana.

Also read: Bedford School to Launch India’s First British International Girls’ School in Mohali