The 84th Foundation Day of CSIR was celebrated on 8 October 2025 at the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH), Chandigarh, with a prestigious Foundation Day Lecture delivered by Prof. Anil Kumar Tripathi, who is presently the Director of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali.

This year’s Foundation Day Lecture, delivered by Prof. Tripathi, focused on “The Saga of Human Civilisation through Inquiry, Invention and Innovation” and gave several examples to outline the difference between invention and innovation in day-to-day life. In his opening remarks, he highlighted how CSIR has touched the lives of Indians in the last eight decades and institutions like CSIR-IMTECH have driven science with a purpose. Prof. Tripathi gave a broad overview of the difference between the inventors and innovators and how both pave the way for commercial success. He also, in his talk, reflected on the importance of Nobel prize-winning discoveries like pesticides, antibiotics, fossil fuels, and plastics that were a boon to humanity and how misuse of these discoveries is now posing challenges to humankind.

Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, CSIR-IMTECH, while welcoming the guests and faculty to CSIR’s Foundation Day, apprised the audience with the contributions and commitments of CSIR for the vision of making India a developed nation in 2047. CSIR has been the knowledge backbone and torchbearer of innovation in the country. 

The status report of CSIR-IMTECH for the years 2021 to 2023 was also launched during the occasion by Prof. Anil Kumar Tripathi and Dr Sanjeev Khosla. As part of the celebrations, CSIR-IMTECH also felicitated its retirees and employees who have completed 25 years of their service. The institute also awarded mementoes to wards of its staff for their outstanding performances in various sporting events held at the state and national level. As part of Foundation Day, an open day for the general public and students was also organised a few days back for them to get a glimpse of the facilities, infrastructure and showcase the scientific prowess of CSIR-IMTECH.