Virginia Tech Launches New Research Center In India

Photo: Priya Goutham (https://news.vt.edu/)

India-West News Desk

BLACKSBURG, VA – In a significant expansion of their longstanding partnership, Virginia Tech and India’s Mahindra University have established the Interdisciplinary Advanced Research Center for Transformative Technologies. The new center will serve as a hub for joint innovation and scientific discovery, hosted in a dedicated facility on Mahindra’s campus in Hyderabad.

The collaboration brings together faculty from both institutions to develop pioneering solutions in critical areas such as early detection through biomarker discovery, artificial intelligence and machine learning, smart and connected urban systems, and sustainable approaches to the water-energy nexus. These focus areas will be supported by cutting-edge platform technologies, including advanced instrumentation, computation, and materials science.

Virginia Tech’s Roop Mahajan, a key figure in the project and director of strategic research and innovation for Virginia Tech India, framed the center’s mission as a direct response to society’s most pressing challenges. According to Mahajan, the partnership embodies a shared commitment to research that not only advances knowledge but also creates tangible benefits for humanity.

As part of the new agreement, the institutions will also explore additional dual-degree offerings and cultural exchange opportunities, with Virginia Tech India taking the lead in expanding the university’s academic presence in India.

Guru Ghosh, Virginia Tech’s vice president for outreach and international affairs, called the venture a model for international collaboration. He praised the effort for fostering a research ecosystem that combines cultural understanding with academic excellence, highlighting its role in pushing the boundaries of innovation and global impact.