Bosch India, a leading supplier of technology and services, further enhanced its partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) with a grant infusion of Rs. 115 crore or Euro 22 million spanning a 10-year period to collaborate on India centric research initiatives.

This funding is part of the funding announced in May 2011, totalling Rs. 300 crores to provide support for universities and research projects in Germany, China, India, and the US over a
ten-year period, as part of its global initiative ‘Bosch InterCampus Programme’.

In this regard, a pact was inked between Bosch and IISc in the presence of the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee last evening.

The Bosch InterCampus Programme aims to achieve lasting improvements in research conditions for undergraduates and scientists in the university sphere. Approximately Rs. 115 crores was allotted for India to accelerate progress in highly promising fields like environmental protection, energy, and mobility. The Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems was set-up at IISc with this grant and is currently in its fourth year.

“Based on this MoU, we intend to develop solutions that address key India centric requirements. Innovation has always been a special strength of Bosch. This partnership between industry and academia further enforces our ties with the IISc and underlines our commitment towards local innovations, according to our slogan “Invented for life”. We expect to see positive results as we collaborate in research on areas of strategic interest, such as mobility, healthcare, energy and water,” said Dr. Steffen Berns, president, Bosch Group in India.

According to professor Anurag Kumar, director of IISc, the Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems within the research institute has helped define a trail for industry-academia collaboration. With the MoU sign off, we look to engage in deeper research that will improve the quality of life in totality.

“These partnerships symbolize Bosch’s innovation focus in India. It will increase our problem solving capabilities, and at the same time the collaboration will result in sharing our learnings for the benefit of society. I believe it is absolutely essential for the growth of innovation in India,” Vijay Ratnaparkhe, president, Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions.