Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has started the ‘Venkataraman and Sita Srinivasan Chair' on innovation and new product development with an endowment fund of USD 1,60,000 from Professor V ‘Seenu' Srinivasan, Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus, Stanford University.
Prof G Venkatarathnam from IIT Madras' Department of Mechanical Engineering will be the first occupant of the chair.
“Prof V ‘Seenu' 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,” Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said.
Prof Srinivasan is an alumnus of IIT Madras. He received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1966. He was the gold medalist in his graduating class.
He was previously the Director of Stanford Business School's Doctoral Program, chair of the marketing area, and faculty director of its Strategic Marketing Management executive program.
Addressing the chair launch event virtually, Prof 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.”
“My teaching in India for the past dozen years at the Indian School of Business and at Great Lakes of Institute of Management, together with this endowment for IITM Chaired Professorship, are my means of giving back to Mother India. The chair is dedicated to my father, Venkataraman who has made me who I am today. It is also a tribute to my wife Sita, for her unwavering support to me all these years,” Prof Srinivasan added.
