CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, celebrated its 74th Foundation Day on 03 January 2024. On the occasion, Dr Naushad Forbes, Co-Chairman, Forbes Marshall, delivers the Foundation Day lecture. He also presided over the event as the Chief Guest and delivered a stimulating oration on the role of R&D in the Indian Innovation Ecosystem. The event also served as a curtain-raiser for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of CSIR-NCL. Dr Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, in his address provided a comprehensive overview of the laboratory’s achievements in 2023, highlighting breakthroughs in scientific contributions and the various thematic technology development programmes of the lab.

 In his keynote address, Dr Naushad Forbes highlighted the pivotal role of innovation in India’s future and the centrality of research and development in the innovation process. He emphasised three crucial elements for fostering innovation in the country: increased overall investment in R&D in the public and private sectors, a five-fold increase in in-house R&D in the industry, and an eightfold increase in public research funding within the higher education system.

Dr Forbes also highlighted the essential connection between industry and research institutions, urging CSIR-NCL to prioritise collaborative efforts with industry and educational institutions. He stated that industrial innovation typically begins with market needs and culminates bringing products or services to the market. This effort is mainly based on ‘known scientific knowledge’. Although cutting-edge scientific research may appear to have a limited role in supporting such innovation, it must be realised that research done sometime in the past has created that ‘known knowledge’, which is therefore invaluable.

Inculcating scientific temper in industrial R&D is critical to ensure that the knowledge existing in research and academic institutions can be utilised by industry to stay competitive. Discussing the role of education, Dr Forbes emphasised that research universities exist to search for knowledge, and their true impact lies in the knowledge that students carry beyond the university’s doors.

As part of the celebration, the NCL Research Foundation Awards for Scientists and Staff for the year 2022-23 were presented by Dr Naushad Forbes. The Foundation Day event concluded with a sense of pride and accomplishment, setting the tone for a year-long celebration of CSIR-NCL’s remarkable scientific research and innovation journey.