In a significant stride towards enhancing collaboration between academia and government, Ms. Sujata Saunik, the newly-appointed Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, visited IIT Bombay to explore avenues of partnership between the state government and the institute. The visit focused on leveraging IIT Bombay’s expertise across various domains to bolster government initiatives and capacity-building efforts.

Ms. Saunik engaged in detailed discussions with Prof. KVK Rao, Deputy Director (Finance and External Affairs) of IIT Bombay, and faculty members representing diverse departments on integrating technological advancements into state government programs. The discussions spanned critical sectors such as infrastructure development, housing, transportation, water management, healthcare, skill development, climate change adaptation, and disaster management.

A pivotal highlight of the meeting was the proposed collaboration through the SANGAM Fellowship, to be anchored by the Global Initiative for Sustainable Energy (GISE) Hub at IIT Bombay. This initiative underscores a strategic effort to empower government agencies with cutting-edge technological solutions and innovative approaches developed at the institute.

The fruitful deliberations culminated in a mutual agreement to forge a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IIT Bombay and the Office of the Chief Secretary in the future. This MOU is poised to serve as a framework for collaborative projects that will directly contribute to the socio-economic development of Maharashtra and the nation at large.

The visit by Chief Secretary Ms. Sujata Saunik to IIT Bombay marks a significant step forward in fostering synergies between academic research and governmental policy implementation, aiming to address contemporary challenges and propel Maharashtra towards a sustainable and technologically advanced future.