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Industries must support young researchers: former ISRO chief
Former ISRO Chairman S Somnath on Saturday urged industries to identify and support young researchers in academia, enabling them to pursue advanced research that benefits the industry. Speaking at the Industry-Academia Conclave…
Former ISRO Chairman S Somnath on Saturday urged industries to identify and support young researchers in academia, enabling them to pursue advanced research that benefits the industry. Speaking at the Industry-Academia Conclave 2026 in Coimbatore, he said companies could fund a PhD student's entire expenses in exchange for a commitment to join the firm after completing the degree.
Somnath said many PhD students end up working outside their field because their research does not address industry problems, calling it a waste of expertise. He suggested companies use CSR funding to support students at leading institutions, strengthening long-term academic and industry partnerships. He also urged academia to focus on solving real-world industry challenges.
On the aviation sector, Somnath said there is a serious shortage of pilot-training establishments in India. He noted that aspiring pilots go abroad because basic licences are more affordable there, and operational airports in India do not provide slots for training flights. He called for more institutes to upskill candidates to make them industry-ready.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Somnath's call for industry-funded PhDs mirrors a model already used in countries like Germany, where corporate sponsorship of doctoral research is common. In India, CSR spending by companies touched nearly Rs 25,000 crore in the last fiscal year, but only a fraction goes to R&D partnerships with universities. The real challenge is that most corporate R&D is in-house, not linked to academic labs. If even 5 per cent of CSR funds were directed to PhD scholarships tied to industry problems, it could fund over 5,000 doctoral students annually. The next signal to watch is whether AeSI's Chennai branch follows up with a concrete proposal or framework for such partnerships.
Source: newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
