IIT Madras launches ‘Venkataraman and Sita Srinivasan Chair' on innovation, new product development

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched ‘Venkataraman and Sita Srinivasan Chair' on Innovation and New Product Development.

Professor V ‘Seenu’ Srinivasan, Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus, Stanford University, USA will endow 1,60,000 US Dollars for the chair. Srinivasan is an alumnus of IIT Madras and received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in the year 1966. He was the gold medalist in his graduating class.

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Addressing the Chair Launch Programme event virtually, Srinivasan said, “IIT Madras has played a major role in my life. I am enormously grateful for the excellent education I received at IIT Madras. Being a Chaired Professor myself at Stanford University, the USA, for the past 40 years, I strongly believe that high-quality education is instrumental to the progress of India and I hope that this donation will help further enhance quality education, which IIT Madras is already providing very well.”

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Professor V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras announced Professor G Venkatarathnam, Department of Mechanical Engineering as the first occupant of ‘Venkataraman and Sita Srinivasan Chair' on Innovation.

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Kamakoti said, “Srinivasan, you have inspired a lot of people through your stellar achievements. Thank you very much for considering IIT Madras to bestow this Chair. IIT Madras, in the last 20 years, has been placing a lot of emphasis on innovation. We are moving towards translational research and are able to scale the expectations of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Translational research is enabling the Institute to solve societal problems. My best wishes to Prof. G. Venkatarathnam, who is a dedicated researcher and has contributed enormously to the Institute.”