We have to stay ahead of most advanced countries: Kris Gopalakrishnan

CHENNAI: At least one innovation in the next set of innovations and disruptions in the field of information technology will come from our understanding of the brain, Infosys cofounder Kris Gopalakrishnan said at the launch of the endowment of the second distinguished chair in computational brain research at IIT-Madras in the name of Infosys founder N R Narayanamurthy.

Kris has funded researches in the field of computational brain research at Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and three chairs at IIT-Madras. The first chair was endowed earlier this year in the name of H N Mahabala, a retired professor of computer at IIT-Madras and is occupied by Partha Mitra of Cold Spring Harbor Lab, USA. The second chair, which is occupied by Mriganka Sur of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will focus on rules of information processing, neuronal signal processing, large scale models of cognition and development of neuronal circuits.

“This is part of an effort to do a world-class research in India. We have to stay ahead or at least be on par with the most advanced countries,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Just as in 1973 when we got the second-largest mainframe computer in Asia to IIT-M, marking the beginning of IT revolution in India in some sense, this probably will also be an event of that type,” Gopalakrishnan said, thanking his mentor and guide Narayana Murthy for his consent to endow the chair.

Murthy, who attended the function despite running a fever, too hoped that these efforts will put India in the map of leading-edge brain research. “Our aspirations should be towards how our institutes of higher learning can emulate those great institutes like MIT which has changed the world so much in a time-span of 160 years,” he said. “I am positive that the students and faculty of IIT have the competence and the inclination to do so. Therefore, I ask you all to make life easier for these people to let them achieve what they want to. And that is just what Kris, as an alumnus has done by setting up these three chairs,” he added.