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Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
India gets its first privately funded institute for maths research
Representational Image MUMBAI: India, said Fields medallist Manjul Bhargava, must fall in love with mathematics again. Not as a "drudgery of formulae" but as an act of "exploration". Bhargava, Canadian by nationality but of Indian origin, believes classrooms need an overhaul-"experimental, playful," he said, with teachers "trained" to spark curiosity. Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of the launch of the Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI), he added: "I'm happy with the new textbooks and the changes brought in them. But they will only show impact in a few years." On the scientific advisory council of LMSI, Bhargava will lead sessions on arithmetic statistics, its new developments, and future directions. State cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha called it a school "not for an individual, not for a business, but for the nation that always prioritised knowledge over all and for India that gave so much math to the world." Entirely devoted to post-doctoral research, LMSI is India's first privately funded mathematics institute, backed by Lodha Foundation with a Rs 20,000 crore endowment. "We realised that for any nation to become strong, we ought to have original thinking and promote innovation," said Abhishek Lodha, CEO and MD of Lodha Developers. The privately funded mathematics research institute in the country is completely free, he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Founding director V Kumar Murthy-who earlier led Toronto's Fields Institute-described math as the hidden scaffolding of modern life: the foundation for finance, engineering, and technology. Economist Nachiket Mor, also on the advisory panel, noted that models built in the West often collapse in India because they rarely account for "unique characteristics" like limited liquidity and higher viscosity of adjustment. "This reality makes it all the more urgent for us to build deep capacity mathematics," he said. Murthy explained that LMSI would begin not with students but with teachers. Ten senior number theorists have been chosen to seed the effort. As president, Murthy said he plans to travel across the country, meeting mathematicians firsthand and mapping who is doing what. The aim is to build a network where the "brightest minds" are spotted early, handpicked, and nurtured. By Dec 2026, LMSI will host the first Indian Congress of Mathematicians, showcasing contributions of Indian-origin mathematicians worldwide.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
It's all about numbers: Mumbai gets first privately-funded institute for math research
Mumbai: India, said Fields medallist Manjul Bhargava, must fall in love with mathematics again. Not as a "drudgery of formulas" but as an act of "exploration." Bhargava, Canadian by nationality but of Indian origin, believes classrooms need an overhaul—"experimental, playful," he said, with teachers "trained" to spark curiosity. Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of the launch of the Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI), he added: "I'm happy with the new textbooks and the changes brought in them. But they will only show impact in a few years." On the scientific advisory council of LMSI, Bhargava will lead sessions on arithmetic statistics, its new developments, and future directions. State cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha called it a school "not for an individual, not for a business, but for the nation that always prioritised knowledge over all and for India that gave so much math to the world." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Gold Rates Today in Mumbai | Silver Rates Today in Mumbai Entirely devoted to post-doctoral research, LMSI is India's first privately funded mathematics institute, backed by the Lodha Foundation with a Rs 20,000-crore endowment. "We realised that for any nation to become strong, we ought to have original thinking and promote innovation," said Abhishek Lodha, CEO and MD of Lodha Developers. The privately funded mathematics research institute in the country is completely free, he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Founding director V Kumar Murthy—who earlier led Toronto's Fields Institute—described math as the hidden scaffolding of modern life: the foundation for finance, engineering, and technology. Economist Nachiket Mor, also on the advisory panel, noted that models built in the West often collapse in India because they rarely account for "unique characteristics" like limited liquidity and higher viscosity of adjustment. "This reality makes it all the more urgent for us to build deep capacity mathematics," he said. Murthy explained that LMSI would begin not with students but with teachers. Ten senior number theorists—working in a field almost untouched in India—have been chosen to seed the effort. Faculty will return to their classrooms with fresh knowledge, passing it on. As President, Murthy said he plans to travel across the country, meeting mathematicians firsthand and mapping who is doing what. The aim is to build a network where the "brightest minds" are spotted early, handpicked, and nurtured—whether a graduate is on the verge of a breakthrough or a scholar is trying to prove a theorem. By December 2026, LMSI will host the first Indian Congress of Mathematicians, showcasing contributions of mathematicians of Indian origin worldwide. Ashish Singh, former chief secretary of Maharashtra and now chief mentor of the Lodha Foundation, said the idea of LMSI grew from parents failing to convince children that mathematics is foundational to all STEM knowledge. The institute, he stressed, is one where scholars can do pure research—"no onerous administrative responsibilities, no responsibility of teaching. There's no other responsibility other than the responsibility of pushing the boundaries of knowledge itself. " Inviting those for whom mathematics is a calling, Singh spoke of those who see "symmetry in numbers," find "beauty in logic," and dream like Ramanujan "standing on the shore of the infinite." The big dream, he added, is for an Indian to win a Fields Medal in the next decade—or perhaps to nurture someone who "looks up from his chalkboard and glimpses the truth no one else has seen, some elegant, exact, and entirely human moment of insight. " Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Print
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Print
Mumbai gets India's 1st private maths research institute, Indian Fields Medalist on advisory board
Dr. Manjul Bhargava of Princeton University, a Fields medalist, will serve on the LMSI advisory board. Often referred as the Nobel Prize for mathematics, the Fields Medal is presented every four years to researchers under the age of 40. The Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI) in Mumbai is envisaged as a pure mathematics research institute, bringing together a core group of mathematicians across the world. New Delhi: With the aim to become a global hub for pure and applied mathematics, the Lodha Foundation officially launched the first-ever privately funded mathematics research institute in India. Eminent Indian mathematicians such as Dr. Mahan Mj of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Dr. Saurav Chatterjee of Stanford University, Dr. Kavita Ramanan of Brown University are among the other advisors for LMSI. Maharashtra skill development minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and LMSI founding director Dr. Vijay Kumar Murthy attended the inauguration ceremony in Mumbai on Sunday. 'This is a small but significant step to move India towards being a developed nation,' said Abhishek Lodha, CEO of Lodha Group and one of the founders of LMSI. 'We wanted to build an institute that will impact not just the field of mathematics but also Indian talent in general.' 'Everyone asks, what is the importance of math? Math is what helped people navigate the world,' said Dr. Murty, addressing the gathering during the launch. 'The linear algebra that makes search engines work to the computational geometry that is behind e-commerce platforms, the number theory that led to Amazons and Googles of the world—everything is math.' Dr. Murty announced that LMSI will hold an inaugural symposium from 17 to 19 August featuring talks from eminent faculty. The LMSI will also begin its first six-month semantic programme focused on arithmetic statistics to bring faculty and math researchers from across the world to collaborate and work together in Mumbai. The institute plans two other such programmes for the next year, led by Dr. Parimala Raman of Emory University and Dr. Mahan Mj of TIFR. 'In December next year, we will host the first Indian Congress of Mathematicians,' announced Dr. Murthy at the event. 'It will bring together the brightest minds in Indian mathematics and we hope to make it an annual event.' Last year, the Lodha Group of Companies invested Rs 20,000 crore in the Lodha Foundation to support education and research initiatives. The LMSI, a product of that investment, is the first ever institute managed by the Lodha Foundation. According to Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who is also founder of Lodha Group, the idea to start a math institute came from his son Abhishek Lodha and former IAS officer Ashish Singh who is associated with the foundation. In his address, Abhishek spoke about how with this institute, they were 'sowing the seeds' for the future of math and innovation in India. Ashish Singh, too, spoke about the significance of math in India's development. 'At LMSI, we are aiming to get the brightest researchers to come together and pursue cutting-edge research in mathematics,' he asserted. The LMSI also plans to collaborate closely with other mathematics focused institutes such as the Chennai Mathematical Institute, the Indian Statistical Institute, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore. 'We realised that for any nation to get strong, we ought to have original thinking and promote innovation. That is what LMSI is focused on—to make this one of the leading institutions in the world,' Abhishek said. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Gurugram teen's AI device helps stroke, Parkinson's patients speak. It understands Hindi
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Lodha Foundation unveils privately funded Mathematical Sciences Institute in Mumbai
Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI) was on Sunday (August 17, 2025) established in Mumbai to provide a collaborative and meritocratic environment for mathematics researchers from across the globe. Called 'the first ever privately funded mathematics research institute in the country, LMSI is backed by Lodha Foundation, which received about Rs 20,000 crore endowment from the Lodha family last year.' 'It's very important for us as a company to make sure that our success contributes in a wholesome manner to India's development. In that context, the family decided last year to donate about one-fifth of the ownership of the company to the Lodha Foundation,' said Abhishek Lodha, CEO and MD of Lodha Developers. 'We have realised that for any nation to become strong, we ought to have original thinking and promote innovation. This is what the Lodha Institute of Mathematical Sciences is focused on. We are undoubtedly committed to making sure that in the long term, this becomes one of the leading institutions in the world,' he said. The LMSI will encourage intellectual inquiry and mathematical research, both in its fundamental aspects as well as in its applications. The institute aims to be a global leader in mathematical research, both in its fundamental aspects as well as in its applications. 'The institute will serve as a beacon of mathematical excellence, attracting the best minds from around the world and fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity and discovery,' the Foundation said. Ashish Kumar Singh, chief mentor at Lodha Foundation said, 'The foundation of almost all technological progress today is mathematical, whether it be cryptography, cybersecurity, warfare, and definitely artificial intelligence.' 'We are aiming to get the brightest researchers to come together and pursue research in cutting-edge frontier mathematics so that the frontiers of mathematics are pushed and new knowledge is created,' he said. The LMSI will be headed by V. Kumar Murty, a mathematician, known for his contributions to number theory and arithmetic geometry. A Ph.D. from Harvard University, Dr. Murty has served as the Director of the Fields Institute and as a professor at the University of Toronto. With several international accolades to his credit, Dr Murty's research spans various areas, including analytic number theory, algebraic number theory, information security, and arithmetic algebraic geometry, the Foundation said. 'We know that in the vast history of India, there have been many great mathematicians who contributed fundamental ideas that have shaped the world that we live in today,' said Dr Murty. 'To be a part of that tradition and to take it forward to the next level, invoking not only the expertise within India, but even that which is available around the world, is truly critical and inspiring. The LMSI aims to address fundamental problems that will help India becoming a developed nation and a global leader by 2047,' he added. The LMSI is backed by a scientific advisory panel of leading researchers, who will oversee the scientific programs of the Institute and help to align them with the main international trends. This includes Dr Manjul Bhargava (Princeton University), Dr Vikraman Balaji (Chennai Mathematical Institute), Dr Sourav Chatterjee (Stanford University), Dr Ravi Vakil (Stanford University and President-Elect of AMS), Dr Yakov Eliashberg (Stanford University), Dr Alexander Lubotzky (Weizmann Institute of Science), Dr Kavita Ramanan (Brown University), Dr François Labourie (Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis), Dr Siddhartha Mishra (ETH Zurich), Dr Mahan Mj (TIFR), Dr Ngô Bảo Châu (University of Chicago), Dr Parimala Raman (Emory University). 'The Institute recognises that it can contribute significantly to solving complex challenges in areas such as infrastructure, healthcare, and economics. These challenges that can be addressed through advanced mathematical approaches, including data science, machine learning, operations research, and optimization,' the Foundation said. 'As an institute rooted in India and focused on both fundamental research and applications, it can make meaningful contributions, both in the short term as well as the long term, nationally and globally. To realise this vision, the Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute will empower faculty with the freedom to pursue their research interests without administrative constraints,' it added.
