COIMBATORE: Former ISRO Chairman and Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) president S Somnath said on Saturday that industries should identify and support young researchers in academia, enabling them to pursue advanced research and develop expertise that can benefit the industry.
In his address at the Industry-Academia Conclave 2026, organised by the Chennai branch of the AeSI in Coimbatore, he stressed the need for collaboration between academia and industry for sustainable industrial growth.
"For example, if a student is pursuing a PhD, an industry interested in the field could support the student through a scholarship. The company could even cover the student's entire PhD expenses, with a commitment that the student would join the company after completing the PhD. This would enable the student to work on real-world problems and challenges faced by the company," he said.
"Many PhD students are unable to find employment in their field and end up working in other areas. Their expertise is being wasted because their research is not focused on solving industry problems. Therefore, industries should collaborate with academia to bridge this gap. One way to strengthen industrial research and development is for companies to support students who are likely to join the industry and work on research that addresses industry needs," he added.
According to S Somnath, it is a win-win situation for both academia and industry, as companies can use their CSR funding to support students at leading institutions and strengthen their long-term academic and industry partnerships.
He urged academia also to identify industry problems and work towards solving them.
"I think many of the professors and teachers, are happy as the salaries now are good for teachers. And they don't find it interesting to spend time on research and development," he said.
"But IIT professors are different in this regard, and they are building their own companies and start-ups based on the research work of their students. Quality of education should be measured by how many professors encourage an entrepreneurial spirit and work towards solving industry problems. Only then can we achieve meaningful progress," he said.
During the conclave, K Vijayaraja, Chairman of the AeSI - Chennai branch, Suju Thomas, Senior Director of Engineering, Honeywell Aerospace, Nikhil K Rao, Director and Chief Engineer, Boeing Engineering India, and others were present.
Speaking to TNIE after the conclave, Somnath said that many universities, including private ones, started aerospace engineering programmes, and top scorers are opting for aerospace engineering.
"The sector is not declining, as there is strong demand for skilled professionals. Even if the number of students opting for the field is relatively small, it is sufficient to meet the sector's requirements," he said.
While asked about the aviation profession lagging, he said, "It is a serious problem. There are not enough pilot-training establishments in India. Many aspiring pilots go to other parts of the world, where even obtaining a basic pilot's licence is more affordable than in India. This is because the number of available airports is limited, and flying institutes do not operate independently of commercial airports. As a result, operational airports do not provide them with slots to conduct training flights. While there are opportunities in supply chain management, ticketing, maintenance and management, the core engineering-support skills required by airlines remain weak, which come come from broader engineering disciplines. There is a need for more institutes to upskill and train candidates so that they are industry-ready," he said.
