New Delhi, July 27: Padma Vibhushan Prof. Man Mohan Sharma, Fellow of the Royal Society and Former Director of the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, was conferred the prestigious Vigyan Maharshi Award 2026 at MIT World Peace University , Pune, during the National Scientists Round Table Conference, which recently concluded its three-day apex forum. The conference brought together eminent scientists, researchers, industry leaders, academicians, and students to deliberate on cutting-edge scientific advancements and chart out a strategic roadmap aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
Accepting the prestigious honour, Prof. Man Mohan Sharma said,
“Without failures, you will not have invention. If you don’t have inventions, you will not have innovation.”
The university conferred its top lifetime achievement honor, the Vigyan Maharshi Award 2026, carrying a ₹5 lakh cash prize and a citation, upon Padma Vibhushan Prof. Man Mohan Sharma in recognition of his extraordinary lifetime contributions to science, engineering, industrial innovation, higher education, and nation-building. The conference also featured the first DeepTech Young Entrepreneur Awards, carrying a ₹1 lakh cash prize and a citation each, presented to Dr. Narayana Rao Sripada, Co-Founder of Swaasa, for his AI-driven respiratory healthcare smartphone screening solution, and Capt. Nikunj Parashar, Founder of Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd., for his indigenous marine autonomy and defense robotics solutions.
Accepting the lifetime honor, Prof. Man Mohan Sharma expressed his gratitude and reiterated the responsibility of the scientific community to mentor future generations and pursue research that creates societal impact. He noted that India faces a challenge in lacking a culture that owns failures, adding that research is an inspirational, curiosity-driven pursuit rather than a preordained path. He compared scientific inquiry to walking down a blind alley to discover whether it is truly blind, praising researchers and innovators as a distinct class of passionate individuals committed to achieving impactful results for the country.
Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration, Chief Guest Padma Vibhushan Dr. R. A. Mashelkar urged the scientific community to focus on science-backed entrepreneurship. He stated that as India marches towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047, the fundamental challenge is not merely whether the nation can develop, but whether it can create, own, and convert knowledge into wealth that directly improves societal well-being. He emphasized that India cannot achieve its goals purely through standard startups, but must instead foster science-powered startups that create original, transformative technologies rather than simply consuming foreign advancements.
Speaking at the valedictory ceremony as Chief Guest, renowned scientist Padma Shri Prof. Dr. Ganapati D. Yadav, Former Vice-Chancellor of ICT Mumbai, called for structural reforms across India’s higher education system. He highlighted that achieving a $30 trillion economy by 2047 requires a shift away from rote learning toward cultivating free thinkers among the youth. He advocated for replacing rigid semester patterns with industry-integrated trimester systems and directing a larger portion of corporate social responsibility funding toward university research, reminding the audience that the ultimate purpose of science extends beyond economic gain to serving humanity and securing global well-being.
Further enriching the discussions, Padma Bhushan Prof. J. B. Joshi, Chancellor of ICT Mumbai, spoke on the generation of national wealth through science and technology, remarking that while India achieved political freedom in 1947, the nation remains dependent on foreign technology and requires a second freedom struggle focused on self-reliant knowledge and innovation. Dr. Rahul V. Karad, Executive President of MIT-WPU, underscored the responsibility of educational institutions, stating that universities and government bodies must collaborate to build an ecosystem that nurtures a strong research mindset in young minds.
The three-day national conference featured high-level technical sessions across five critical domains, including the premise of Nobel and Queen Elizabeth Prize work, artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, emergent device technologies, and health sciences. As part of the proceedings, delegates and media representatives also toured MIT-WPU’s state-of-the-art Central Research Facilities, exploring its advanced laboratories dedicated to battery fabrication, synthesis, optical spectroscopy, and nanomechanical research. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. R. M. Chitnis, Vice Chancellor of MIT-WPU, in the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Former Chairman of DRDO, Prof. Dr. Shekhar Mande, President of INSA, Dr. Ashok Joshi, Chairman of NSRTC 2026, Dr. Prasad Khandekar, Chief Academic Officer, and Dr. Bharat S. Chaudhari, Dean of Research & Development and Convener of NSRTC 2026.