ISRO Chief V Narayanan virtually inaugurated the ISRO–Academia Connect Symposium, organised at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) on Thursday. Joining the symposium via video conferencing, the top scientist urged academic institutions to lead Indias next wave of space research and innovation. The one-day symposium was organised in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to foster academic–industry synergy in the field of cutting-edge space technology. The event marked the formal launch of MANITs Space Technology Incubation Centre (S-TIC), which will serve Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh. Savita Nema, founding coordinator of the S-TIC, said the centre is part of a national network of six such hubs aimed at strengthening academic research in space science. Around 200 academicians and 25 ISRO scientists attended the event. Narayanan emphasised that collaboration with academia is crucial for Indias growing space ambitions. Fifteen technical talks were delivered by ISRO unit heads, highlighting key research areas where academic institutions can play a pivotal role in technological development. A research booklet listing ISROs current problem statements was also released, inviting proposals from technical institutions across the region. The symposium also saw the inauguration of MANITs Central Computing Facility. Director Prof KK Shukla congratulated the organisers and encouraged participants to pursue innovation.

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