Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: “India has made unprecedented progress in various domains of technology, including, the information and communication technology, in the recent past. But we must measure technological progress from the contributions it makes towards creating a healthy, prosperous, and capable India, and transforming India as a leader in all spheres in the global arena,” said Thiru R.N. Ravi, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu.
He was delivering the Inaugural Address at Sangam 2021, the flagship annual convention of the IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA), after launching it virtually. The Hon’ble Governor said that people in the tech sector are among India’s most precise resources and assets. They must think of ways to align their tech vision with the India vision.
The Hon’ble Governor highlighted India’s recent achievements in sanitation, financial inclusion, indigenous production, and access to water, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Post-Independence, India had made great strides in many sectors, but India now has a clear vision of ‘One India’ (Ek Bharat). The vision refers not just to the territorial integrity of the country but the oneness that permeates people of all faiths, cultures, and languages,” he said and added that people must realize that India’s diversity was a cause for celebration, and not a cause of concern, as contrived and projected by the influences of over centuries of subjugation and colonization.
Following the inauguration, a panel discussion on ‘Strategy for Indian Pharma to Propel the Global Market’ was organised online. The session was addressed by Dr Sameer Mehta, Chairman Board of Directors; President, Future Program, and former Chief Investment Officer, The Atlas Family Office, Varun V, Director Data Science, Novartis India, and Dr Radha Rangarajan, CTO, Health Cube. Dr Bhuvaneswari Sridhar, AVP, API R&D, Pfizer, and Srividya Ramakrishnan, Senior Director, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories were the moderators.
Sangam 2021 will host fireside conversations and panel discussions, spread over four months till March 2022, under the theme of ‘Restoring Balance in STEM’. Sangam 2021 will be held largely online and will also comprise a few hybrid programs. About 15,000 participants, including alumni and students of IIT Madras and general public, are expected to take part in Sangam 2021, one of the largest alumni gatherings of an institute on a single platform.
The virtual sessions will feature conversations and stories from leading professionals, researchers in STEM and start-ups.
In January 2022, two sessions on ‘Restoring Balance in STEM Research’ and ‘Machine Behaviour or Human Intelligence’.
In February 2022, there will be multiple hybrid events on “Space the final frontier”, and “India Becoming a Champion and Leader in Sustainability”.
In March 2022, there will be a “Women’s Leadership Retreat” as well a session on “Catching them young! Inspiring girls to take on STEM courses”.
IITMAA Sangam 2021 is also conducting an online quiz and crossword contests themed on ‘Women in STEM’ for both school children and adults.
Among the eminent speakers who would address the sessions are:
Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder, Infosys
Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor at CMC Vellore
Dr Mridula Nair who is in the Forbes Global 50 Over 50 for her innovations in STEM
Almitra Patel, India’s first woman engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and environmental champion
Other eminent speakers who are going to address include Namrata Vora, Director and Mentor, Aarti Homes and winner of London City Award, Ms Shalini Puchalapali, Country Head, Google – Customer Solutions.
In relation to the theme of Sangam 2021, IITMAA is also launching several initiatives including a forum for women leadership and entrepreneurship, and a mentoring and wellbeing program for women. The forum on women in research and academia has already been kick started by Prof Preeti and Prof Shanti of IITM.
The key alumni in the Sangam 2021 Coordination team include Krishnan Narayanan, President, IITMAA, Shyamala Rajaram, Chair of Sangam 2021, Dr Malati Raghunath, Raji Baskaran, Dr Preeti Aghalayam, Dr Shanti Bhattacharya, and Nishani Manohar, ED, IITMAA.
