MUMBAI (India CSR): Lodha Foundation has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, to offer a multi-year programme under Lodha Geniusfor high potential students in the country. The programme aims to identify and nurture talent in India, and put them on an accelerated programme to reach their full potential.
Lodha Genius Endowment
This programme is being offered under the umbrella of Lodha Genius, a flagship programme of Lodha Foundation that focuses on supporting gifted education. The Lodha Foundation recently received an endowment of approx 2.5 billion dollars or Rs 20,000 crores from promoters of Lodha Developers Ltd, who donated 1/5th of their stake in the company.
IISER Pune Excellence
IISER Pune is a leading institute dedicated to advancing research and education in the basic sciences. As a pioneering initiative in India’s science education landscape, IISER Pune aspires to be a world-class Science University that integrates cutting-edge research with high-quality teaching. With a strong emphasis on curiosity-driven learning, creativity, and early exposure to research, the institute offers a flexible, interdisciplinary curriculum and hands-on projects to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders.
Collaborative Science Circles
The collaboration between IISER Pune and Lodha Foundation, aims at offering multiple after school programmes for geniuses between grades 6-12 and adding to the scientific talent of the country. The partnership will be kicked off with the launch of the science circles in which selected students will build scientific enquiry and critical thinking skills through 2-year long weekend programmes at the IISER Pune campus. In the second year, top 50 students from the first year will undertake faculty-guided research projects, participate in conferences, and work towards developing research projects.
Later, as part of the partnership there will be residential summer and winter programmes with interdisciplinary STEM courses ranging from 2-4 weeks for selected geniuses pan-India.
Fully Funded Vision
In the launch year, the programme will accept students from grades 6-9 and will be fully funded by Lodha Foundation, delivering on its vision for nation building, such that no genius from our country is left behind. Through the Genius Initiatives, the Lodha Foundation supports in nurturing high potential talent both on honing their academic ability and building caring geniuses by inculcating a desire to give back to society. Apart from several other initiatives to promote sustainability, Indian culture, innovation, the Foundation launched the Lodha Genius to support the cause of education for gifted. In the last three years, over 500 students have enrolled and put on an accelerated learning programme run by Lodha Genius in association with Ashoka University.
Gifted Talent Nurturing
“Mensa states that 2-4 per cent of population is gifted. At Lodha Foundation, we strive to identify and nurture these geniuses who believe in ideology of Paropkar Param Dharma, and want to give back to the society. They are put on an accelerated learning programme and eventually will help India in becoming a global leader. I firmly believe our collaboration with IISER Pune takes us closer to achieving our Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” said Abhishek Lodha, Trustee, Lodha Foundation.
Scientific Talent Development
Elaborating on the collaboration and the programme, Mahika Shishodia, Deputy Programme Director – Genius Development at Lodha Foundation, said, “The partnership between Lodha Foundation and IISER Pune is a major step in nurturing scientific talent in India. Our aim will be to provide a rich nurturing journey to the selected students with exposure to great institutions, highly qualified mentors and character building – enabling the genius to reach their full potential. Over 1000 students will benefit from this fully funded programme across the next couple of years.”
Future Scientists Empowered
Reflecting on the collaboration, Prof. Sunil Bhagwat, Director, IISER Pune, said“We are delighted to partner with the Lodha Foundation to launch the Lodha Genius – IISER Pune Program. This initiative reflects our shared commitment to nurturing some of the brightest young minds in the sciences and equipping them with the skills, values, and confidence required to address the challenges of the future. At IISER Pune, we view science not only as the pursuit of knowledge but also as a means of contributing meaningfully to society. Through this programme, we aim to foster curiosity, creativity, and responsibility in the next generation of scientists and innovators.”
Prof. Arnab Mukherjee, Dean of International Relations and Outreach at IISER Pune, added, “The Lodha Genius – IISER Pune Programme is a significant step in extending IISER Pune’s outreach in science education. By combining our academic expertise with the Lodha Foundation’s commitment to social transformation, we are creating opportunities for talented school students to experience the excitement of scientific discovery at an early stage. This initiative will not only strengthen the pipeline of future scientists but also nurture socially conscious young individuals who can bridge science and society.”
Programme enrolment details:
Application start date: 12th Sep 2025
Application end date: 30th Sep 2025
Selection Test date: 5th Oct 2025
Eligibility criteria: Students in grades 6–9 from Pune and its suburbs
First science circle date for the current academic year: 11th Oct 2025
Last science circle date for the current academic year: 30th Apr 2026
(India CSR)
