Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in conversation with students during the inauguration of IITM Festival Fortnight at IIT Madras January 2, 2026 | Photo credit: R. Ragu
Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday (January 2, 2026) launched the IITM Global Research Foundation, which is envisioned as a strategic, sustainable and scalable platform to take the academic, research and innovation strengths of IIT Madras to the global stage. The minister also inaugurated the ‘IITM Festival Fortnight’, which includes an open house through which the public can access IITM’s laboratories and innovation centers, Shaastra, an annual technical festival and Saarang, an annual cultural festival.
During a fireside chat with Mith R. Jain, Secretary, Joint Academic Affairs, IIT Madras, he said countries have grown by growing at home and then engaging abroad, using the international environment in ways that contribute to and benefit from it.
“When we say ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, the term is that we have never seen the world as a hostile or hostile place from which we have to defend ourselves defensively. We have limitations on our resources. With limited resources, how do you have maximum impact? That is actually the problem that needs to be solved. What we are trying to do today in Indian foreign policy and diplomacy is to solve this part of the problem of competing institutions and options,” he added.
Citing an example, Mr. Jaishankar said, “The IIT Madras campus in Tanzania is a way in which India’s foreign policy has used the institution’s capabilities to make a huge impact.”
S. Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs and V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras releasing a brochure at the inauguration of IITM Global Research Foundation in Chennai on January 2, 2026 | Photo credit: R. Ragu
Asked how to prevent other countries from misunderstanding India’s intentions, Mr. Jaishankar said it could be done through communication. “If you communicate well, clearly and honestly, other countries and other people respect and accept that. Many people around the world are proud of their culture, traditions and heritage. I see no reason why we shouldn’t be. There are really very few ancient civilizations that have survived to become major modern nation-states, and we are one of them.”
He went on to say: “We have a sense of our past that very few countries have… It was our decision to choose a democratic political model that made the very idea of democracy a universal political concept. If we hadn’t followed this path, the democratic model as we know it would be regional and narrow… Partnership with the West is also important and that’s how we shape the world.”
As part of the rollout of IITM Global, IIT Madras has signed a number of MoUs with leading multinational institutions and partners across key global regions. These include three MoUs 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. The partnerships focus on collaborative research, industry and startup collaboration, global talent and knowledge exchange, and translating deep technological innovation into real-world applications.
V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said: “IITM Global Research Foundation is a global outreach initiative of IIT Madras aimed at strengthening international cooperation. It uses a four-pronged approach. First, we aim to transfer our technology abroad and explore opportunities for technology transfer in different countries. Second, we plan to incorporate projects from these countries into joint development agreements, which will enable our faculty to start working and provide solutions so that we can start working and provide business opportunities. these countries Fourth, our goal is to attract foreign investment to our start-ups.
He added, “These four verticals form the main focus of IITM Global. We are initially establishing a presence in five locations, including the United States, Dubai, Malaysia and Germany. Based on the success, this initiative will expand to more countries.”
Published – 02 Jan 2026 16:17 IST
