NIT-C Launches India’s First I-STEM Catalyst Centre

Swift Summary

• NIT Calicut Achievement: the national Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C), is now the first I-STEM Catalyst Center in India.
• Announcement Date: This milestone was announced during I-STEM SAMAVESHA-11, held on campus on August 5, 2025.
• Purpose of I-STEM platform: A national platform aimed at democratizing access to advanced scientific infrastructure adn fostering collaborative innovation across academic institutions, research labs, startups, and industries.
• Catalyst Centre role: Functions as a hub to amplify resource sharing and inter-institutional collaboration while accelerating research and innovation within specific regions.
• SAMAVESHA Initiative Details:

– Focused on equitable access to scientific resources for researchers in tier-3 and tier-4 cities typically excluded from infrastructure concentrated in tier-1/2 cities.
– Operated under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA), Government of India.
– Event attended by NIT-C Director Prasad Krishna and COO/National Coordinator Harilal Bhaskar of I-STEM.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The designation of NIT Calicut as India’s first I-STEM Catalyst Centre represents a important step towards decentralizing access to scientific resources. By focusing on inclusivity for researchers from tier-3 and tier-4 cities with limited infrastructure exposure, this initiative aims to bridge gaps in innovation potential between urban metropolises and smaller regions. Such efforts can enhance workforce development through enhanced inter-community collaboration while fostering local industry-academic partnerships.additionally, the role envisioned for Catalyst Centres could accelerate India’s research ecosystem by pooling tools from varied institutional players like academic institutions or startups into an accessible framework designed through platforms aligned going forward multiplying future benefits bridging traditional disparities amongst citizen-scientist cogroups Regionally logical thus economized inputs outputs systemic level policymakers tabulation necesary fits timeline onward momentum growth opportunities industry bands upskilled merged rationality shaping dependency Together prepared paths fit impactful end overall tshu Read More. ![[Image]]