Pune: "Without failures, you will not have invention. If you don't
have inventions, you will not have innovation," said Padma Vibhushan Prof.
Man Mohan Sharma, Fellow of the Royal Society (UK) and Former Director of the
Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, while accepting the prestigious
Vigyan Maharshi Award 2026 at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU), Pune. The
honor was conferred during the National Scientists Round Table Conference
(NSRTC 2026), which recently concluded its three-day apex forum. The conference
brought together eminent scientists, researchers, industry leaders,
academicians, and students to deliberate on cutting-edge scientific
advancements and chart out a strategic roadmap aligned with the national vision
of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
The university conferred its top
lifetime achievement honor, the Vigyan Maharshi Award 2026, carrying a ₹5 lakh
cash prize and a citation, upon Padma Vibhushan Prof. Man Mohan Sharma in
recognition of his extraordinary lifetime contributions to science,
engineering, industrial innovation, higher education, and nation-building. The
conference also featured the first DeepTech Young Entrepreneur Awards, carrying
a ₹1 lakh cash prize and a citation each, presented to Dr. Narayana Rao
Sripada, Co-Founder of Swaasa, for his AI-driven respiratory healthcare
smartphone screening solution, and Capt. Nikunj Parashar, Founder of Sagar
Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd., for his indigenous marine autonomy and defense
robotics solutions.
Accepting the lifetime honor,
Prof. Man Mohan Sharma expressed his gratitude and reiterated the
responsibility of the scientific community to mentor future generations and
pursue research that creates societal impact. He noted that India faces a
challenge in lacking a culture that owns failures, adding that research is an
inspirational, curiosity-driven pursuit rather than a preordained path. He
compared scientific inquiry to walking down a blind alley to discover whether
it is truly blind, praising researchers and innovators as a distinct class of
passionate individuals committed to achieving impactful results for the
country.
Delivering the keynote address at
the inauguration, Chief Guest Padma Vibhushan Dr. R. A. Mashelkar urged the
scientific community to focus on science-backed entrepreneurship. He stated
that as India marches towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047, the fundamental challenge
is not merely whether the nation can develop, but whether it can create, own,
and convert knowledge into wealth that directly improves societal well-being.
He emphasized that India cannot achieve its goals purely through standard
startups, but must instead foster science-powered startups that create
original, transformative technologies rather than simply consuming foreign
advancements.
Speaking at the valedictory
ceremony as Chief Guest, renowned scientist Padma Shri Prof. Dr. Ganapati D.
Yadav, Former Vice-Chancellor of ICT Mumbai, called for structural reforms
across India's higher education system. He highlighted that achieving a $30
trillion economy by 2047 requires a shift away from rote learning toward
cultivating free thinkers among the youth. He advocated for replacing rigid
semester patterns with industry-integrated trimester systems and directing a
larger portion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding toward
university research, reminding the audience that the ultimate purpose of
science extends beyond economic gain to serving humanity and securing global
well-being.
Further enriching the
discussions, Padma Bhushan Prof. J. B. Joshi, Chancellor of ICT Mumbai, spoke
on the generation of national wealth through science and technology, remarking
that while India achieved political freedom in 1947, the nation remains dependent
on foreign technology and requires a second freedom struggle focused on
self-reliant knowledge and innovation. Dr. Rahul V. Karad, Executive President
of MIT-WPU, underscored the responsibility of educational institutions, stating
that universities and government bodies must collaborate to build an ecosystem
that nurtures a strong research mindset in young minds.
The three-day national conference
featured high-level technical sessions across five critical domains, including
the premise of Nobel and Queen Elizabeth Prize work, artificial intelligence,
sustainable materials, emergent device technologies, and health sciences. As
part of the proceedings, delegates and media representatives also toured
MIT-WPU's state-of-the-art Central Research Facilities, exploring its advanced
laboratories dedicated to battery fabrication, synthesis, optical spectroscopy,
and nanomechanical research. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr.
R. M. Chitnis, Vice Chancellor of MIT-WPU, in the presence of distinguished
dignitaries, including Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Former Chairman of DRDO, Prof. Dr.
Shekhar Mande, President of INSA, Dr. Ashok Joshi, Chairman of NSRTC 2026, Dr.
Prasad Khandekar, Chief Academic Officer, and Dr. Bharat S. Chaudhari, Dean of
Research & Development and Convener of NSRTC 2026.