Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Friday launched ‘IITM Global Research Foundation’, a landmark international initiative of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), in the campus.

The launch marks a significant milestone in IIT Madras’ journey to become the world’s first multinational university, positioning the institute as a globally-networked hub for education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Jaishankar also inaugurated ‘IITM Festival Fortnight,’ which includes the Open House, through which the public is given access to IITMs’ labs and innovation centres, Shaastra, the annual technical festival and Saarang, the annual cultural festival.

While Shaastra 2026 is being held from 2nd to 6th January 2026, Saarang 2026 is from 8th to 12th January 2026.

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, Madhav Narayan, CEO, IIT Madras Global Research Foundation, witnessed the launch along with faculty, researchers, students and other stakeholders.

Jaishankar also took part in a fireside chat during the event.

Widely recognised as India’s leading institution for higher education, IIT Madras is ranked #1 Overall and #1 Engineering Institute in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for several consecutive years, and #180 in the QS World University Rankings besides #56 in the QS Asian University Rankings.

Building on this strong foundation, IITM Global has been conceived as a strategic, sustainable and scalable platform to take IIT Madras’s academic, research and innovation strengths to the global stage.

Taking a question on how to prevent other countries from misreading India’s intentions from Mith R Jain, Co-Curricular Affairs Secretary, IIT Madras, during the fireside chat, Jaishankar said, “How to prevent people from misreading you is to communicate. If you communicate well, clearly and honestly, other countries and other people respect it and accept it. A lot of people across the world are proud of their culture, tradition and heritage. I see no reason why we should not be. There are really very few ancient civilizations which have survived to become major modern nation states and we are one of them. We have a sense of our past which very few countries have... It was our decision to opt for a democratic political model which made the very idea of democracy as a universal political concept. Had we not gone that way, the democratic model, as we know it, would have been regional and narrow... Partnership with the West is also important and that is how we shape the world.”

Addressing the gathering, Jaishankar said, “Countries have grown by growing at home and then engaging abroad, leveraging the international environment in a way contributing to it and gaining from it. When we say ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, the term is we have never considered the world as a inimical or hostile place from which we have to defensively protect ourselves."

He said they have limitations on their resources. "With limited resources how do you have maximum impact? that is actually the problem that has to be solved. What we try to do in Indian Foreign Policy and diplomacy today is solve that problem. We try to do that partly using our competitiveness and strengths and leveraging other institutions and possibilities.”

Speaking on India assisting foreign countries, Jaishankar said, “An IIT Madras Campus in Tanzania is a way by which Indian Foreign Policy has leveraged the capabilities of an Institution here to make a huge impact.”

As part of the IITM Global rollout, IIT Madras has signed a series of high-impact memoranda of understanding 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 across the Asia-Pacific region including Singapore and Malaysia, and six under the India-for-Global initiative.

The partnerships are focused on joint research, industry and startup collaboration, global talent and knowledge exchange, and translating deep-tech innovation into real-world applications.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IITM Global Research Foundation is a global outreach initiative of IIT Madras aimed at strengthening international collaborations. It follows a four-pronged approach. First, we aim to take our technologies abroad and explore opportunities for technology transfer across different countries.

Second, we plan to bring projects from these nations under joint development agreements, enabling our faculty to work on and provide solutions to global challenges. Third, we aim to introduce our start-ups to business opportunities in these countries. Fourth, we aim to attract foreign investments into our start-ups.”

Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “These four verticals form the core focus of IITM Global. Initially, we are establishing a presence in five locations, including the United States, Dubai, Malaysia and Germany. Based on success, this initiative will be expanded to multiple nations.”

IITM Global is designed as a dynamic ‘plug-and-play’ framework that enables deep-tech innovators, researchers, startups and industry partners to access global markets, capital and research opportunities.

By integrating local context with international engagement, the platform aims to catalyse innovation-led growth while fostering high-impact collaborations with global industry and R&D partners.

Anchored in IIT Madras’ world-class faculty, advanced infrastructure and strong industry linkages, IITM Global seeks to drive innovation and entrepreneurship with a clear focus on societal impact.

The initiative is structured around four core pillars that underpin global engagement: nurturing a vibrant startup ecosystem to accelerate commercialisation and scale-up; delivering globally recognised academic programmes, including online courses and training for international learners; advancing cutting-edge research and consultancy across domains such as Data Science and AI, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity and Blockchain, Space Technology and Advanced Mobility, Energy and Water Sustainability, Health Tech and Green Tech; and enabling IP commercialisation and technology transfer to drive economic development.

With 18 academic departments, 15 Centres of Excellence, 23 research centres and nearly 100 advanced laboratories, IIT Madras hosts one of the most comprehensive R&D ecosystems in the world. Supported by over 650 faculty members and a student community of more than 10,000, the institute’s industry-connected research culture provides a strong base for meaningful global collaboration.

By enhancing employability, fostering entrepreneurship and enabling cutting-edge innovation at a global scale, IITM Global is set to transform how the world engages with IIT Madras.

The initiative strengthens the institute’s international presence while extending its legacy of excellence and impact to communities and partners across the globe.