Dr. Gopalakrishnan delivers the CSIR Foundation Day Lecture at CSIR-NCL, Pune

 

Dr. Kris Gopalakrishnan (Chairman Axilor Ventures, Co-founder Infosys) delivers the CSIR Foundation day lecture at CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) on October 09, 2023.

CSIR established on September 26, 1942, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) stands as a cornerstone of scientific and industrial research in India. Conceived with the vision of fostering scientific progress and supporting industrial development, CSIR has played an instrumental role in shaping India's technological landscape. Over the years, it has evolved into a network of 37 research institutes and laboratories, each specializing in different scientific domains.

Dr. Kris Gopalakrishnan, began his talk by touching to the concept of ‘Dr. Mashelkars STIR concept for CSIR. He stressed the importance of periodic introspection and reinvention to remain relevant and to refocus life goals. He highlighted the economic transformation of the United States in the 20th century. He said. The USA travelled from being a small economy to world’s largest economy and this happened due to their strong focus on research and it created revolution in computer and this revolution accelerated their economy. He encouraged the audience by suggesting that India, currently the world's fifth-largest economy, can also accelerate its growth like USA or other developed countries.

Dr. Gopalakrishnan underlined the potential for India to create its intellectual property and inventions rather than relying on foreign technology, emphasizing that we can do it by research and development-driven growth engines. He identified India's competitive advantages, such as a lower cost of talent, and the power of its vast and diverse population to contribute unique perspectives to the R&D process.

Furthermore, Dr. Gopalakrishnan urged the audience to build startups based on research and development, emphasizing the importance of being globally competitive. He expressed his belief in India's ability to generate globally-leading growth engines, supported by its cost-efficient talent pool, diverse population, and access to disruptive technologies.

Earlier, Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, gave the welcome remarks and threw light upon the history of the CSIR. He informed about the key strengths of the CSIR, diversity, and geographical presence across the country. He emphasized CSIR's strengths in diversity and nationwide presence. He stressed the need for greater industry-academia collaboration and advocated for CSIR's strategic repositioning in the evolving R&D landscape. He introduced the Dr. Mashelkar’s articulation for stirring CSIR "STIR" framework i.e. Speed, Scale, Sustainability, Talent, Technology, Trust, Integration, Innovation, Inclusion, and Reimagining - as a guide for CSIR to adapt to emerging R&D models. Dr. Lele also emphasized the importance of embracing entrepreneurship, start-ups, and new research approaches to bridge evolving trends and established practices.

Dr. Kris Gopalakrishnan (Chairman Axilor Ventures, Co-founder Infosys) were felicitated and presented a book and painting of NCL main building by Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL

On the occasion, NCL Research Foundation Awards for Scientists, Staff, and Research Scholars for 2022-23 were also presented at the hands of the Chief Guest.