IIT Bombay Awarded ANRF PAIR Grant; Partners As Hub-Spoke With 7 Universities
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has been awarded the prestigious Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) grant by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). As a Hub, IIT Bombay will lead a collaborative network of seven Spoke institutions.
The spoke institutions include University of Mumbai; Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Nagpur; IIIT Pune; National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa; Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu; Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and COEP Technological University, Pune.
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The PAIR programme is ANRF’s flagship initiative to strengthen India’s research and innovation ecosystem by supporting structured Hub-and-Spoke networks. Each network, eligible for up to ₹100 crore over five years, is built on a framework of shared research infrastructure, joint capacity building, academic mobility, and collaborative knowledge dissemination. The PAIR model emphasizes quality of collaboration, people mobility—especially involving faculty and students— shared facilities, and impactful outreach.
IIT Bombay’s PAIR network will focus on three critical thematic areas. Under Industry 4.0, the network will work on signal processing and AI, cybersecurity, and AI-driven agriculture. In Energy and Sustainability, key areas include green hydrogen, electric vehicles, and sustainable buildings. The Advanced Materials theme will explore energy materials, photonic materials, and structural ceramics and composites. IIT Bombay’s proposal also outlined a robust operational model to foster effective collaboration with the seven Spoke institutions, ensuring the successful execution of the project.
A total of 30 Hub-and-Spoke networks from across the country presented their proposals between March 6th and 8th, 2025, at the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru. Following detailed evaluations by an expert Apex Review Committee chaired by Dr Radhakrishnan former ISRO Chairman 7 networks were granted. The awarded list was announced by DST Secretary Dr. Abhay Karandikar and ANRF CEO Dr. Shivkumar.
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Prof. Vikram Gadre, Programme Director for IIT Bombay’s PAIR initiative, noted that the Hub will work closely with its Spokes to uplift their research capacities, develop joint research proposals, facilitate inter-institutional faculty and student mobility, and ensure measurable research impact. The initiative will be steered under the leadership of IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare and Dean (R&D) Prof. Sachin Patwardhan.
The IITB PAIR network brings together nearly 95 faculty members, with around 30 from IIT Bombay as the Hub and approximately 65 from the Spoke institutions, fostering a diverse and collaborative academic ecosystem. The initiative will place strong emphasis on capacity building, enhancement of research infrastructure, and joint research activities to elevate the overall research readiness level.
Students and faculty from the Spoke institutions will have opportunities to work in IIT Bombay’s advanced laboratories, while dedicated research infrastructure will also be developed at each Spoke institute. Internship programmes will also form a part of this effort, enabling greater student participation from the Spoke institutions at IIT Bombay. Additionally, joint workshops and seminars will be organized to foster collaborative learning and knowledge exchange across the network.
As one of India’s premier institutions of science and technology, IIT Bombay will continue to drive interdisciplinary innovation and equitable research growth through this prestigious national collaboration.
Other institutions selected as Hub in Phase 1 of the ANRF PAIR programme include: IIT Indore, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, NIT Rourkela, University of Hyderabad, IIT Ropar, and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi
