Mumbai: Axis Bank, one
of the largest private sector banks in India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, an Institution of
Eminence, to establish the Axis Bank–BITS Industry Research,
Technology & Innovation Park at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad
Campus. This collaboration, with a ₹100 crore CSR grant,
marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s deep-tech and
translational research ecosystem by creating an integrated launchpad for
facilitating deeper industry-academia collaboration, driving innovation and
entrepreneurship.
With a
focus on Life Sciences, Biopharma, healthcare and medical devices, the
proposed Axis Bank–BITS Industry Research, Technology & Innovation
Park at the Hyderabad campus is being developed as a dedicated
platform to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, with a focus on enabling
cost-effective healthcare solutions that benefit the public at large. The Park's location in Hyderabad places it at the heart of
Telangana's thriving life sciences corridor, anchored by Genome Valley. By
embedding academia-led biopharma and deep-tech capabilities within this
ecosystem, the partnership supports national priorities for affordable
healthcare, translational research, and self-reliance in critical technologies
under the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’
initiatives.
Under the partnership, BITS Pilani shall
guide the Research Park’s governance and research agenda, while Axis Bank shall support its
infrastructure development.
Spread across approximately 120,000 sq. ft., the Axis
Bank–BITS Industry Research, Technology & Innovation Park shall
house laboratories, incubation spaces, and diverse shared facilities under one
roof, especially supporting innovators from academia, startups and MSME domains
through structured partnerships, co-design and co-creation of projects. This
will support technology transfer and IP management, and provide ready access to
BITS Pilani’s academic expertise and talent.
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla,
Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said, “The partnership between BITS
Pilani and Axis Bank is exactly the kind of forward-looking collaboration India
needs to build stronger innovation systems. The Research Park will help BITS
Pilani deepen its work in cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship, while
also contributing to solutions that can make a meaningful difference to
society. It is encouraging to see academic and industry leaders come together
with a shared commitment to research, talent development and lasting national
impact.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr.
Amitabh Chaudhry, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Axis Bank,
said, “At Axis Bank, we believe that the future of inclusive and sustainable
progress lies at the intersection of knowledge, innovation, and purpose. Our
collaboration with BITS Pilani resonates strongly with our organizational ethos
and our commitment to nurturing ecosystems that can solve real-world
challenges. As institutions, we share a collective vision of building
conscientious leaders equipped with knowledge and the unwavering resolve to make
a difference.”
Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao,
Vice-Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said, “This MoU represents a powerful
alignment of vision between academia and industry. At BITS Pilani, we have
always believed that the future of higher education lies in creating ecosystems
that are interdisciplinary, research-intensive, and deeply connected to society
and industry. The Axis Bank–BITS Research Park will help us build precisely
such an ecosystem, one that supports faculty-led innovation, nurtures doctoral
research, accelerates translation, and prepares our students to solve complex
problems at scale.”
The MoU signing
ceremony held in Mumbai brought together leaders from both the organisations
around a shared goal of turning ideas into impact and strengthening the bridge
between research and industry.