Monash University Welcomes Indian Maitri Scholars To Advance Global Food Security and Sustainable Manufacturing
Monash University has welcomed two outstanding Indian researchers under the prestigious Maitri Scholarships program to collaborate on urgent global challenges: climate-resilient agriculture and green manufacturing.
Recruited from the highly selective Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Maitri Scholar Swagatam Das has joined Monash University to work on crop resilience. Working under the supervision of Professor Sureshkumar Balasubramanian from Monash’s School of Biological Sciences, Mr Das will use predictive AI models and advanced CRISPR gene-editing technologies to develop plants that can withstand rising global temperatures. The methodologies and outcomes from this work are likely to be of significant interest to the agribiotech sector.
"Climate change has huge impacts on food security, and by combining these two advanced technologies I hope to protect crop yields and deliver practical solutions for the agricultural sectors in both countries,” said Mr Das. “It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m grateful to the funders for enabling this research.”
At the same time, early-career researcher Deepali Singh – a Masters graduate from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and former Project Associate at the CSIR–Indian Institute of Petroleum – will start her research at Monash. She is supervised by Dr Chandan Kundu and Professor Sankar Bhattacharya, both from Monash’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Ms Singh’s project focuses on making high-value chemicals from renewable plant waste, such as agricultural and forestry leftovers, using continuous chemical reactors. Supported by industry expertise and commercial guidance from The Hermal Group, led by Mr Ron Goldschlager, the project aims to reduce industrial waste and replace chemicals made from fossil fuels.
"Moving away from fossil fuels is a priority for both India and Australia,” said Ms Singh. "This scholarship helps us take biomass recycling out of the lab and turn it into real-world environmental solutions."
The Maitri program supports economic, cultural, and research projects that deepen the bilateral relationship between Australia and India, and is supported by the Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR). Now in its fifth year, the two incoming researchers are part of a broader cohort this year for the program, which includes 15 Maitri scholarships and four fellowships funded to tackle shared regional problems.
Monash was ranked 31st in the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2027, and is one of the fastest-rising universities in the top 50 globally, accelerating 29 places over the past decade. The new Maitri appointments are further evidence of Monash’s continuing impact in research and education, and long-term commitment to working alongside India's education and research sectors as the University of the Indo-Pacific.
