CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, celebrated the 83rd Foundation Day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on 4 November 2024. Chief Guest, Dr Hemant Darbari, Mission Director-National Supercomputing Mission, C-DAC, Pune, delivered the Foundation Day Oration on “Satiate Futuristic Research through Insatiable Computation.”
Dr Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, highlighted the history of the establishment of CSIR and how it has contributed significantly to the benefit of society at large. These achievements include the development of the first indigenously built tractor, the first baby milk powder from buffalo milk, the growth of initial pharmaceutical companies, the first indigenously designed and built aircraft and many more. Later, he introduced the Chief Guest, Dr Hemant Darbari, to the audience.
Dr Hemant Darbari began his address by emphasising the grand challenge problems, including weather prediction, climate modelling, materials research, oceanographic simulations, bioinformatics, molecular dynamics, etc.
Dr Darbari stated that insatiable computation is key to solving such grand challenge problems. He highlighted that computation has always been a vital component across various domains. However, traditional CPUs cannot satisfy high-end computing needs because of their large power requirements. On the other hand, GPUs offer an energy-efficient alternative. The combination of these technologies is essential for driving innovation. He pointed out that traditional core experimentation methods are becoming outdated as computer simulations have emerged as critical tools for accelerating advanced research. In today’s context, the capacity to conduct futuristic research is directly linked to the ability to develop adequate high-end computing infrastructure.
Dr Darbari discussed the significance of high-speed supercomputing achieved through a harmonious blend of innovation. The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) is pivotal in establishing supercomputing infrastructure across India. This mission encompasses the development of a supercomputing ecosystem, indigenous supercomputer development, and applications of national importance.
Dr Darbari also introduced the indigenously designed and manufactured Rudra Board and the 4 Node Cluster, along with notable supercomputers deployed across the nation, such as PARAM Shivay at IIT (BHU), PARAM Brahma at IISER Pune, and PARAM Shakti at IIT Kharagpur. He elaborated on the contributions of the National Supercomputing Mission in creating indigenous components and systems, including the AIRAWAT and PARAM Siddhi-AI integrated cloud infrastructure. He discussed the key deliverables of the NSM, including building High-performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure and enabling a manufacturing ecosystem within India. A significant milestone is establishing 24 HPC facilities with a combined computing capacity of 64 petaflops.
Dr Swati Chadha, the Hindi Officer, delivered the welcome remarks and coordinated the programme. Council employees who retired from the CSIR services in the last year and those who completed 25 years of continued services in CSIR were also felicitated by the Chief Guest. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Swati Chadha.
