US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy to South and Central Asia Sergio Gor launched the fellowship at a special ceremony in Bengaluru on Sunday. The launch was followed by the Freedom 250 United States National Day Reception.
Leaders from Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the three host institutions, joined the fellowship’s benefactors on stage to present certificates recognising their role in hosting the programme.
The programme is facilitated through a public-private partnership involving the US Consulate General in Chennai, MAHE, IIT Madras and IISc, with philanthropic support from the founding sponsors, Pratiksha Trust and Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy.
The US-India TRUST Fellowship is a structured 12-month programme that will bring outstanding postdoctoral researchers and early-career faculty members from the United States to the three leading Indian institutions. The fellowship will focus on strategically important areas aligned with the broader US-India technology partnership, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, biotechnology, energy, defence and space technologies.
Addressing the gathering, US Ambassador Sergio Gor said, “Every single day, we see incredible American tech leaders expanding their presence in India, and the TRUST Fellowship highlights the strength of this bilateral connection…As we look ahead to the next 250 years, the closeness of the U.S.-India relationship will be defined by this kind of collaborative research, shared innovation, and enduring academic partnership.”
Speaking on the achievement, Dr Sharath K. Rao, Vice Chancellor, MAHE, said, “MAHE is proud to serve as a host institution in India for the US-India TRUST Fellowship. This fellowship offers a valuable opportunity for researchers from both countries to collaborate. The programme provides a valuable platform for researchers from India and the United States to collaborate in emerging and strategic areas of science and technology. By fostering knowledge exchange and long-term institutional partnerships, the fellowship will contribute meaningfully to advancing research and innovation between the two countries.”
MAHE’s participation in the TRUST Fellowship enhances its internationalisation by providing a structured framework for inbound researcher mobility, collaborative research and sustained institutional engagement with universities and research organisations in the United States. The initiative will also facilitate knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary research and the development of new academic and scientific networks in critical and emerging technologies.
The event was attended by Consul General Mariana L. Neisuler, U.S. Consulate General in Chennai; Kris Gopalakrishnan of Pratiksha Trust; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy; Dr Sharath K. Rao, Vice Chancellor, MAHE; Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc Bengaluru; and Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, Dean of Global Engagement, IITM, representing IIT Madras. Their participation underscored the significance of the initiative and the collective commitment to advancing excellence in research and innovation.
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University. MAHE offers over 400 specialisations across the Health Sciences (HS), Management, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences (MLHS), and Technology & Science (T&S) streams through its constituent units at campuses in Manipal, Mangalore, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur and Dubai. With a track record in academics, state-of-the-art infrastructure and significant contributions to research, MAHE has earned recognition and acclaim both nationally and internationally. In 2020, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, awarded MAHE the prestigious Institution of Eminence status. Currently ranked 3rd in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings, MAHE is the preferred choice for students seeking a transformative learning experience and enriching campus life, as well as for national and multinational corporations seeking top talent.
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