IIT Kanpur occupies a particularly important place in the heart of Uttar Pradesh: Raksha Mantri
Text of RM’s speech on the occasion of the unveiling of the ‘Greater Than Us’ Campaign by IIT Kanpur.
It is a privilege to be here today for the public unveiling of The IIT Kanpur Campaign. Let me begin by congratulating the entire IIT Kanpur community on this important initiative.
The purpose of our IITs has never been limited to producing engineers and scientists. Their larger mission has been to contribute to the making of a strong, self-reliant and developed India. Generations of IITians have carried this responsibility forward, applying their knowledge, ingenuity and enterprise to challenges that have shaped our nation’s progress.
Today’s occasion is significant because it seeks to carry this legacy forward and expand the possibilities that IIT Kanpur can create for generations to come.
Friends, IIT Kanpur occupies a particularly important place in the heart of Uttar Pradesh. Kanpur has a rich industrial legacy and has long been associated with India’s manufacturing capabilities. Today, as Uttar Pradesh seeks to strengthen its industrial base, develop its industrial corridors and realise its ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy, institutions like IIT Kanpur can play a transformative role.
The future of industrial growth will depend not merely on infrastructure, investment and manufacturing capacity, but increasingly on technology, innovation, productivity and skilled human resources. IIT Kanpur can serve as a bridge between scientific research and industrial application, between emerging technologies and enterprise, and between the aspirations of young people and the opportunities of a changing economy.
When the intellectual capabilities of a premier technological institution combine with the manufacturing strengths of an industrial region, new opportunities emerge for entrepreneurship, employment, investment and economic growth. IIT Kanpur’s contribution can therefore extend well beyond its campus and become an important part of Uttar Pradesh’s development journey.
Friends, we are living in a period of profound technological and economic transformation. The frontiers of science and technology are expanding rapidly.
For India, this has a particular significance. Our aspiration to build a Viksit Bharat is not merely an aspiration for a larger economy. It is an aspiration for a nation that is technologically capable, economically competitive, innovative and confident in its ability to shape its own future. Our commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat is central to this aspiration. Self-reliance is not merely about producing more within our borders; it is about developing the capacity to think, design, create and innovate. It is about ensuring that India is not simply a consumer of knowledge and technology developed elsewhere, but an active contributor to their creation.
Realising this ambition requires strong institutions of higher education and research. It requires universities and technical institutions that do not merely impart existing knowledge, but push the boundaries of knowledge itself. The Government of India has made sustained efforts to expand access to quality higher education, strengthen existing institutions and establish new IITs across the country. This expansion has widened the reach of premier technical education.
The impact of this ecosystem is reflected in its growing contribution to innovation and entrepreneurship. By August 2025, the IIT ecosystem had supported over 6,000 startups, 56 unicorns and nearly 5,000 patents. These achievements demonstrate that our IITs are not merely institutions that impart knowledge; they are increasingly becoming engines of innovation, enterprise and technological capability.
Ladies and gentlemen, Institutions such as IIT Kanpur therefore occupy a particularly important place in India’s development journey. Their contribution lies not only in preparing skilled professionals, but also in expanding the country’s scientific capabilities, strengthening its innovation ecosystem and creating solutions that can benefit society at large. IIT Kanpur has demonstrated what an institution can achieve when academic excellence is combined with intellectual curiosity and a willingness to address difficult problems.
I would particularly like to acknowledge the contribution of its Director, Prof. Manindra Agrawal, who has been honoured with the Padma Shri. His standing extends well beyond his institutional leadership. I am also told that, in his classes, he has been known to reward students who gave the right answers with chocolates! This is a delightful reminder that great teachers do more than impart knowledge. They encourage curiosity, reward effort and make learning an engaging experience. I congratulate Prof. Agrawal and the entire IIT Kanpur community for nurturing a culture in which intellectual excellence and innovation can flourish.
The impact of an institution like IIT Kanpur cannot be measured only by the students it graduates or the research papers it produces. Its influence is also visible in the technologies its alumni develop, the enterprises they build, the problems they solve and the opportunities they create for others. This is how an institution’s contribution to nation-building multiplies across sectors and generations.
Friends, allow me to draw a connection with an area that is particularly relevant to my responsibilities as Raksha Mantri. National security today is increasingly linked to technological capability. The nature of warfare is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, advanced sensors, cybersecurity and space-based technologies are reshaping military capabilities. In this environment, our ability to develop, adapt and continuously upgrade technologies indigenously is of strategic importance.
The development of indigenous defence capabilities requires close collaboration among the Armed Forces, DRDO, academic institutions, defence public sector undertakings, private industry and startups. Our IITs can make a significant contribution by bringing academic research closer to the operational requirements of the Armed Forces and the technological needs of industry.
IIT Kanpur’s DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence is an example of this approach. I am also encouraged by the proposal to establish a School of Defence Technologies at the Institute. Such initiatives can deepen collaboration between academic research and defence requirements, helping translate scientific advances into technologies of strategic importance.
Let me share a personal experience that illustrates the value of this partnership. Few months ago, Prof. Agrawal came to discuss the proposal for establishing a National Military Drone Technology Hub in IIT Kanpur, in collaboration with MoD to fast-track indigenization and innovation in Military drone technology to gain combat egde through unified ‘whole of Nation’ approach. When I discussed the proposal with my team in the Ministry of Defence, and the response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. There was a clear appreciation of the institution’s credibility and the potential of the project being presented.
I am pleased that the proposal has since progressed significantly and that the approval process is now nearing completion. This experience demonstrates how a credible institution, led by people with initiative and a clear understanding of national needs, can inspire confidence and help advance ideas of strategic importance.
I hope this spirit of collaboration will extend to many other areas of defence technology. Our objective must be to create an ecosystem in which scientific talent, institutional expertise and the operational experience of our Armed Forces work together to develop indigenous capabilities.
Friends, the value of IIT Kanpur’s research extends well beyond defence. Its achievements in cybersecurity, healthcare and other fields demonstrate how scientific knowledge can address complex challenges facing society.
The C3i Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub reflects the importance of developing capabilities to secure cyber systems and interconnected technologies. The Institute’s medical school represents another important initiative, with the potential to strengthen medical research, healthcare and medical technology innovation.
These are examples of a wider contribution spanning health, education, the environment, advanced materials, semiconductors, quantum technology and other emerging fields. Research in such areas will be critical to India’s ability to address national priorities and participate in shaping the technologies of the future.
We must recognise, however, that research requires patience and sustained investment. Not every scientific inquiry produces an immediate breakthrough. Some discoveries take years to mature; some ideas require repeated experimentation before they become useful technologies. The ability to support researchers through this journey is essential to building globally competitive institutions.
Recognising this importance, the Government of India has approved the Rs. 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme to catalyse private-sector investment in research and advanced technologies. This initiative is intended to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem and support the development of technologies that can advance our economic and strategic interests.
National policy and institutional initiatives must reinforce each other. Public policy can create enabling conditions, but institutions must generate ideas, nurture talent and develop technologies. Industry must participate in taking these innovations towards application and scale.
It is in this context that The IIT Kanpur Campaign assumes particular significance. Its ambition to mobilise one billion US dollars represents a major collective commitment to the Institute’s future. The true significance of this ambition lies not in the amount alone, but in what it can enable: stronger research capabilities, advanced facilities, opportunities for talented students, support for ambitious ideas and a greater capacity to address national and global challenges.
It reminds us that the purpose of a great institution is to serve something larger than any individual or generation. The knowledge it creates, the talent it nurtures and the opportunities it opens must ultimately contribute to society and to the nation. Supporting IIT Kanpur is therefore not simply an investment in an institution; it is an investment in possibilities that extend far beyond ourselves.
Such an undertaking cannot be realised by the Institute alone. IIT Kanpur’s distinguished alumni have carried its values into industry, entrepreneurship, academia, public service and many other fields. Their contribution can go beyond financial support to include mentoring, professional networks, research partnerships and opportunities for young people.
Industry, philanthropic supporters and institutional partners also have an important role to play. When academia, government, industry and philanthropy work towards a shared purpose, research can find pathways to application, promising ideas can attract support, and talent can find opportunities to flourish.
I congratulate everyone who has contributed to conceiving and advancing this Campaign. Its success will depend on the collective commitment of the entire IIT Kanpur community and all those who believe in the institution’s future.
Friends, Great institutions are built over decades. The early generations who established and strengthened our IITs often worked with limited resources but extraordinary commitment. Their contribution was not limited to creating campuses and laboratories; they were nurturing a culture of excellence, service and dedication to nation-building. The responsibility before us is to carry that legacy forward.
One generation lays the foundations. Another strengthens them. Those who follow build upon what they inherit and carry it forward. That is how institutions endure, knowledge advances and the achievements of one generation become the starting point for the next.
The IIT Kanpur Campaign offers us an opportunity to prepare the institution for a future in which scientific discovery, technological innovation and national development are increasingly interconnected. Its success will ultimately be reflected in the talent it nurtures, the knowledge it advances, the technologies it helps develop and the opportunities it creates for generations to come.
May IIT Kanpur continue to inspire young minds, push the frontiers of knowledge and contribute meaningfully to the nation. With these words, I extend my best wishes to IIT Kanpur, its leadership, alumni, donors, faculty, students and partners for the success of this Campaign.
Thank you !
Jai Hind!