by Narendra Goliya, EE, H3
My involvement with the community and society started in 2003. When we constructed an R&D Center Building in Rishabh Instruments, Nashik, to research and develop our manufactured instruments, some dignitaries then inaugurated the factory. About 50 foreign visitors and more than 200 Indian visitors (Customers and suppliers) were present. We had a three-day celebration program where we talked about many topics, and one of the topics was INDIA SHINING. We made a movie of about 10 minutes, which I still have, and it is so relevant, although it is more than 21 years old. I would like to show it to the interested people, and I will put it on the IIT B74 group for people to see it. It was an excellent demonstration of how India was growing, how R&D was growing, how manufacturing was increasing, and how India had become a software leader worldwide. It was so much in demand that we made more than 100,000 copies, and people kept asking for it even 3-4 years after we made the movie.
Since then, I got involved with Nashik Engineering Cluster (www.nec.org.in), which is a Public-Private partnership we created in Nashik that, besides a building, has many modern and state-of-the-art machines like CNC, Calibration, Heat Treatment, and other advanced technologies. It allows Entrepreneurs and Startups to experiment with technologies and develop processes and industries till they could afford to buy complex machines like High-end calibrators, 5 axis CNC machines, etc. This went for about 3 to 4 years. We got about 70 crores from the government of India and have made this institution run independently even today. Many industrialists from Nashik were involved in design, conception and other facets. It has become a role model in India and different clusters have now copied this model. There are now several clusters working in India. Now additional people have got involved and developed the cluster into an Incubation Center, to support young Entrepreneurs making products fit for the market, and getting people to invest seed capital and money. India is becoming the world’s startup capital, producing over a hundred unicorns.
I run a multinational company called Rishabh Instruments, which has factories in many parts of the world. When the time came when I could afford to give back to society what I had gained from society, I thought of doing something for my Alma mater and thought about IIT Bombay, but I also went to IIT Jodhpur as Jodhpur is my birthplace. We saw a lot of potential with the new IIT both in terms of physical infrastructure and in terms of soft skills of the Professors and Teachers.
I did my engineering studies at IIT Bombay. Later, I attended Stanford where about 16 Nobel laureates were working simultaneously. I wondered why we can’t have many such Nobel laureates at IIT and other institutions in India? This could only happen when cutting-edge research is done, facilities are created, soft skills are created, and researchers are encouraged. I had a choice, and I finally chose IIT Jodhpur, made an MOU with them, and set about building the infrastructure, which we expect to be completed in the next 6-8 months. Meanwhile, we have set up facilities in a temporary structure so that the faculty there can get started with cutting-edge research. We also instituted a few chair professorships to provide the discretionary money required either traveling, writing, publishing papers, or whatever the faculty needed. We will also create an infrastructure with many unique one-of-a-kind Labs.
Having gained a lot of experience in the design and construction of such facilities, I thought it proper to write a note on how people should stretch themselves and their finances and give back to society, especially to their alma mater, to create facilities that can make a difference for generations to come. We all know most research is being done in the US and now China is also increasing its research capabilities. India is still lagging. Only when the capital is employed to tap the best research brains that we should be able to produce results that can be the envy of the world. I am sure many Alumni from the IITs and other Engineering Colleges who are successful in their businesses will come forward to give back to society what they have earned from society. Money is not the only necessity, but the capabilities and supporting infrastructure to ensure that research centers of the highest capability in diverse fields are created.
India’s future energy requirement will exceed the consumption of the developed world if we rely on conventional energy. To live in a sustainable world, green energy must be a significant part of growing India. I think the scope for green energy is tremendous. India has already become the Solar capital of the world. With more research, we can increase the efficiency of solar energy and shave peak energy generation with improved storage devices. Green energy can be the energy of the future. While a lot of work is being done at IIT Jodhpur, I am sure other engineering colleges could also do similar work in different topics to address the requirements of modern India and the modern world. Just as computers have risen from nothing to being employed in every corner of the world, Green energy has similar potential. Focusing on hydrogen energy and AI will make a significant impact.
I know many colleagues have successfully formed and sold companies, and I say it will be worthwhile for them to help to establish such research centers for future generations. LONG LIVE OUR MOTHER INDIA.
IIT Bombay 1974 Reunion 