Overview
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence deemed university based in Manipal, Karnataka, has been announced as one of only three Indian host institutions for the US‑India TRUST Fellowship for the academic year 2026‑27. The fellowship was launched at a ceremony in Bengaluru on Sunday, attended by US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy to South and Central Asia Mr Sergio Gor, Consul General Mariana L. Neisuler, and senior representatives from MAHE, IIT Madras and IISc.
Partnership Structure
The programme is a public‑private partnership involving the US Consulate General in Chennai, MAHE, IIT Madras and IISc, with philanthropic backing from the Pratiksha Trust and Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy. It is a structured twelve‑month initiative that will bring outstanding post‑doctoral researchers and early‑career faculty from the United States to the three Indian institutions.
Focus Areas
The fellowship will concentrate on strategically important technology domains that align with the broader US‑India technology partnership, specifically artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, biotechnology, energy, defence and space technologies.
Statements from Leaders
US Ambassador Mr Sergio Gor remarked that the fellowship “highlights the strength of this bilateral connection” and will define the closeness of the US‑India relationship over the next 250 years through collaborative research and shared innovation. MAHE Vice‑Chancellor Dr Sharath K. Rao expressed pride in serving as a host institution and emphasized the opportunity for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary research and the creation of new academic networks.
Attendees and Endorsements
The launch event also featured Kris Gopalakrishnan of Pratiksha Trust, Kiran Mazumdar‑Shaw of Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy, Prof Govindan Rangarajan (Director, IISc Bengaluru) and Prof Preeti Aghalayam (Dean of Global Engagement, IIT Madras), underscoring the collective commitment to advancing research excellence.
MAHE Profile
MAHE offers more than 400 specialisations across Health Sciences, Management, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences and Technology & Science, operating campuses in Manipal, Mangalore, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur and Dubai. In 2020 the Ministry of Education awarded MAHE the Institution of Eminence status, and it currently ranks third in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025.
Significance
The fellowship provides a structured framework for inbound researcher mobility, collaborative research and sustained institutional engagement between Indian and US universities, thereby enhancing MAHE’s internationalisation and contributing to the broader US‑India scientific partnership.
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