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Prof Nagarajan did it all: boosted alum ties, reimagined Heritage Centre & got a Mills & Boon award!

Meet the IIT Professor Who’s Done It All! From building the Heritage Centre at IIT, to strengthening alumni relations, and winning award-winning short stories, Professor Nagarajan R. of IIT Madras shows how leadership, creativity, and vision can leave a lasting impact. In this episode of the Best Place to Build Podcast, discover how he transformed alumni engagement, led heritage projects that celebrate IIT’s legacy, and balanced his academic achievements with creative excellence in writing. Whether you’re passionate about higher education, alumni networks, campus development, or literature and short stories, this story will inspire and motivate. Learn how dedication, strategy, and creativity can change institutions—and lives. ✅ Key topics in this video: * Heritage Centre at IIT: Design, impact, and legacy * Alumni relations strategies that strengthen networks * Award-winning short stories and creative writing tips * Leadership, innovation, and balancing professional & creative pursuits Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring stories of educators, innovators, and changemakers shaping the future of education and culture. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:05 - Welcome to the Best Place to Build Podcast 00:01:45 - Introducing Prof Nagarajan 00:02:34 - What is Unique About IIT Madras? 00:04:30 - CFI's Motto: Idea to Prototype 00:08:00 - The Startup Pipeline 00:10:25 - The Shift from Studying Abroad to Indian Entrepreneurship 00:14:15 - CFI Integration: Projects as Academic Credit 00:17:39 - Launch of the IIT Madras Research Park (RP) & Rise of Opportunities 00:26:00 - The Importance of Alumni Giving Back to the Alma Mater 00:28:44 - Alumni Relations: Association vs. Institutional Advancement 00:30:01 - Growth in Alumni Fundraising and Global Engagement 00:40:00 - Professor Nagarajan’s Personal Journey and Advice for Aspiring Students 00:45:37 - Chemical Engineering: A Versatile Process Discipline 00:56:20 - Redesign and Impact of the IIT Madras Heritage Centre 01:00:00 - Closing Thoughts & Reflections

Nagarajan R.guest
Oct 16, 20251h 5mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

How IIT Madras built innovation, alumni power, and campus heritage

  1. IIT Madras’s distinctive edge is a vertically integrated innovation pipeline that moves ideas from student tinkering at CFI to pre-incubation (Nirman), entrepreneurship readiness (GDC), incubation, and scaling inside Research Park.
  2. The innovation ecosystem has changed campus culture by increasing alumni presence, boosting deep-tech startup formation, and helping students connect classroom fundamentals to real engineering problems.
  3. A major shift over decades is that fewer students pursue higher studies abroad, not due to reduced global competitiveness but because India’s on-campus and domestic opportunities now feel comparably compelling.
  4. IIT Madras professionalized alumni engagement by separating community-building (Alumni Association) from institutional advancement (Alumni & Corporate Relations), contributing to dramatic growth in fundraising and global programs.
  5. Nagarajan’s personal journey—from a Tamil-medium rural background to Yale, IBM, and back to IIT Madras—highlights the value of adaptability, multiple interests, and creative outlets beyond technical work.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Build an innovation pipeline, not isolated maker spaces.

IIT Madras’s advantage comes from a staged pathway—prototype, pre-incubate, validate markets, incubate, then scale near industry—so teams don’t stall after early demos.

Faculty-triggered creativity is essential for students who “have no idea.”

Nagarajan argues classroom design should kindle creativity early, because creativity in class translates into innovation outside, and faculty can actively nudge ideation.

Hands-on projects can improve academic seriousness, not just distract from classes.

Examples like the satellite team show students often start valuing fundamentals once they see direct payoff to building and troubleshooting real systems.

A strong alumni network needs clear division of responsibilities.

Separating alumni community-building (association) from fundraising/institutional benefit (advancement) creates both emotional connection and measurable outcomes.

Measure engagement before you measure donations.

Verified contactability, reunion attendance, and chapter participation are leading indicators; once alumni are engaged, mentoring, hiring, and giving follow.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

“Walk in with an idea, walk out with a prototype.”

— Nagarajan R.

“Creativity in the classroom translates to innovation outside the classroom.”

— Nagarajan R.

“Alma mater… literally translates to mother of nourishment.”

— Nagarajan R.

“We felt that by going abroad, we could make more money.”

— Nagarajan R.

“You really should not lock yourself into thinking that you will only be happy in one geographical location or even in one profession.”

— Nagarajan R.

CFI: “Idea to prototype” maker ecosystemStartup pipeline: CFI → Nirman → GDC → incubators → Research ParkDeep-tech entrepreneurship and project-based learning for creditResearch Park’s industry credit system and startup densityAlumni engagement model: association vs institutional advancementFundraising growth and global engagement/joint programsHeritage Centre redesign: interactive storytelling, AR, revolving exhibitsChemical engineering as process engineering; versatility and careersCreativity and writing (Mills & Boon award, WACK award)Student success factors: language, social skills, mental resilience

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