How Indian institute of science (IISC), Bangalore born???

In 1893 a ship was sailing from Japan to USA. There were hundreds of people in that ship including two significant Indian personalities – swami Vivekananda and jamsetji Nusserwnji Tata. Jamsetji was crossing the Atlantic Ocean to bring steel manufacturing technology for a steel plant which he wanted to set up in India. Earlier jamsetji had gone to England for this purpose, but British steel manufacturers had refused and ridiculed him saying that if Indians would make steel, British would eat it!

Swami Vivekananda asked jamsetji the reason for his traveling to the USA. Jamsetji told him that he wanted to bring the steel industry to India. Swami Vivekananda blessed him and said that steel technology has two components

1. Steel science

2. Manufacturing technology

What you can bring to this country is material technology, but you will have to build material science with in the country. This triggered a dream in Jamsetji’s mind.

Jamsetji was successful in bringing steel technology from the USA and the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was established in Jamshedpur. A few years later, in 1898, jamsetji wrote a letter to Swami Vivekananda….

23 November 1898

Dear Swami Vivekananda,

I trust you remember me as a fellow-traveler on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India, and the duty, not of destroying, but of diverting it into useful channels.

I recall these ideas in connection with my scheme of research institute for science of which you have doubtless heard or read. It seems to me that no better use can be made of the ascetic spirit then the establishment of monasteries or residential halls for men dominated by this spirit, where they should live with ordinary decency, and devote their lives to the cultivation of sciences-natural and humanistic. I am of the opinion that, if such a crusade in favour of an asceticism of this kind were undertaken by a competent leader, it would greatly help asceticism, science, and I know not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda. Do u think you would care to apply yourself to the mission of galvanizing into life our traditions in this respect? Perhaps you had better begin with a fiery pamphlet rousing our people in this matter. I should cheerfully defray all the expenses of its publication.

Jamsetji Nusserwnji Tata

A visionary like jamsetji with the blessings of Swami Vivekananda paved the way for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) IN 1909. The IISC, born out of a vision of two great minds, is a world-class institution in areas such as physics, aerospace technology, knowledge products, bio-science and bio-technology.