Imperial College London and India eye $340 million for AI, health and clean tech research by 2030
Imperial College London has announced an ambitious plan to double research funding between India and the UK, targeting at least $340 million in the next five years, building on the foundation of $170 million in prior collaborative funding from UK and Indian sources.
The announcement came during the launch of the Imperial Global India Hub in Bengaluru on Wednesday, the fourth in a series of global research hubs, following Singapore, San Francisco (US), and Accra (Ghana).
Speaking at the launch event, Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, emphasised the university's commitment to deepening research and innovation ties with India, with no ceiling on ambitions.
'We aim to at least double our previous $170 million in research funding, leveraging opportunities from national funding agencies, philanthropies, and industry. A branch campus is not in our plans; our focus is on research and innovation.' Prof Brady said.
Key collaborators include the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the National Centre for Biological Sciences, IIT Delhi, and IIT Bombay, with Imperial College already having ties with over 300 Indian institutions.
The Imperial Global Hub in Bengaluru 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.
Imperial College says that research programmes with Indian partners will focus on the world's most pressing challenges in areas such as climate change and sustainability, food and water security, and antimicrobial resistance.
Regarding India's expenditure on research and development, Prof Brady said, 'The trajectory is more important than the current quantum. India is the UK's second-largest collaborator for joint research papers, with nearly 2,000 publications over the past five years. The National Research Foundation and India's innovation ecosystem, resembling Silicon Valley and West London, indicate a strong upward trajectory, making it an exciting partner. What we can see is concrete evidence of (Indian universities) really impressive climbing up the world rankings when it comes to research outputs and an ambition to do more.'
Imperial Global India has also announced its first key initiatives including The India Connect Fund, which will support up to 25 joint research projects every year between Imperial College and partners in India in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, biotech, and clean energy. The Future Leaders Scholarship is Imperial College's biggest scholarship programme for Indian scientists and will support 75 students of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and business over the next five years.
Additionally, the establishment of six high-impact Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Global Faculty Fellowships with the National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Indian Institute of Science to develop a London-Bengaluru AI in Science Network.
Imperial College will also invest in a Global Challenge Lab programme to bring together hundreds of UK and Indian students each year to jointly create innovative solutions to UN Sustainable Development Goals. The college is also targeting 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.
On the funding for such research and academic programmes, Prof Brady said, 'Funding comes from multiple sources: Imperial's seed funding, philanthropists (e.g., for scholarships), industry (e.g., Tata Steel's decarbonisation programme), and research foundations like the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI for Science programme. We anticipate further support from UKRI, Horizon Europe, the Indian National Research Foundation, and potentially state-funded bodies like CSIR, DST, or DBT, depending on where the best minds and opportunities align.'
On why Imperial College wants to drive research and industry collaborations with India, Dr Elena Dieckmann, academic co-director of Imperial Global India, said, 'India's innovation ecosystem is characterised by brilliance, excellence, and rapid technology adoption, as seen in examples like UPI and real-time health apps. This resonates with Imperial's strategy of fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. Our hub aims to enable bidirectional learning, exposing Indian scientists to UK opportunities and our students to India's dynamic ecosystem.'
Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
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