Chennai: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday launched the IITM Global Research Foundation, an international initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), at the institute’s campus. The initiative aims to expand IIT Madras’s global engagement in education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and strengthen its position as a globally networked academic hub.
Dr Jaishankar also inaugurated the IITM Festival Fortnight, which includes the Open House programme allowing public access to IIT Madras’s laboratories and innovation centres, along with Shaastra, the annual technical festival, and Saarang, the annual cultural festival. Shaastra 2026 is scheduled from January 2 to 6, while Saarang 2026 will be held from January 8 to 12.
The launch was witnessed by Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement); Mr Madhav Narayan, CEO, IIT Madras Global Research Foundation; along with faculty members, researchers, students and other stakeholders. The External Affairs Minister also participated in a fireside chat during the event.
Responding to a question on how India can prevent other countries from misreading its intentions, Dr Jaishankar emphasised the importance of clear and honest communication. He said India’s confidence in its cultural heritage, democratic traditions and partnerships with the West played a key role in shaping its global engagement.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister noted that countries grow by strengthening themselves domestically and engaging internationally. Referring to India’s foreign policy approach, he said institutions such as IIT Madras could play a significant role in leveraging limited resources for maximum global impact. He cited the proposed IIT Madras campus in Tanzania as an example of how India’s academic strengths are being used to support international cooperation.
As part of the IITM Global rollout, IIT Madras has signed several memoranda of understanding with international institutions and partners, including three in the United States, one in the United Kingdom, three in Germany, three in Dubai, three in the Asia-Pacific region including Singapore and Malaysia, and six under the India-for-Global initiative. These partnerships focus on joint research, industry and startup collaboration, global talent exchange and translating deep-tech innovations into real-world applications.
IIT Madras is currently ranked No. 1 overall and No. 1 in engineering in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for several consecutive years, and is placed 180th globally in the QS World University Rankings and 56th in Asia, providing a strong foundation for its global expansion plans.
