ISI's New Collaborations Set To Transform Cyber-Physical Systems And Data Analytics

"Statistics must have a clearly defined purpose, one aspect of which is scientific advance and the other, human welfare and national development," so said Prof. P C Mahalanobis, founding father of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1931 (December 17).

Ninety-five years down the road, ISI on 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, is still driven by the same philosophy and, same mission. This unique institution devoted to the research, teaching, and application of statistics, natural sciences, and social sciences, gained the status of an Institution of National Importance by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1959. Research in Statistics and related disciplines is the primary activity of the Institute with its centres in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Tezpur. Other than teaching the institute is also engaged in research, projects, and consultancy in statistical quality control and operations research.

Dr Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, a computational biologist and professor at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Kolkata, is the current Director of the institute. She oversees all five ISI centers and other units across India and is the first woman to hold this position.

Speaking to Bizz Buzz, Dr Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, Director, ISI, outlines the premier institute's current and future growth trajectory and explains how in this new era of data science, AI, ML, ISI is well set to move to the next level

Ericsson Research and the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) have recently established a collaboration for three years, which aims to conduct joint research on safe and reliable cyber-physical systems (CPS). The two organisations will also set up a collaborative research centre known as the Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (C-CPS). What was the idea behind this? What is the current status of this centre? And how would the ISI-Ericsson research centre benefit academic study and industry in the long run?

Ericsson Research and the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) have recently formalised a collaboration for three years. This aims at conducting joint research on safe and reliable cyber-physical systems (CPS). Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Ericsson Research will provide support and engage in various research activities with ISI, establishing a collaborative research centre known as the Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (C-CPS).

The importance of research in safe and reliable CPS for developing next-generation autonomy technologies can hardly be overemphasised. Let me also emphasise here that ISI has an extremely conducive environment for collaborative translational research and the establishment of the ISI-Ericsson research centre is a welcome step in this regard.

In yet another collaboration of a different kind, the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics, and Science (IDEAS) at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and the Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM) launched a pioneering Executive Certificate Programme aimed at helping businesses capitalise on data analytics to integrate Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into their core strategies. Could you throw some light on this programme, and its larger impact on industry and society, at large?

Yes. Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM) and the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics, and Science (IDEAS) at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) launched a pioneering Executive Certificate Programme aimed at helping businesses capitalise on data analytics to integrate Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into their core strategies. This course will fill a critical gap in the market, offering junior and mid-level professionals the expertise to guide their organisations in ESG compliance and reporting in a rapidly evolving global market.

Let me also point out here that there are more unique challenges than one, faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are significant contributors not only to the national economy but also major stakeholders of the ESG disclosures for the large companies as supply chain vendors.

This innovative programme, will help equip industry professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to integrate ESG factors into business strategies for resilient growth. Plans include courses on similar lines for freshers as well to make India's millennial and GenZ workforce future-ready in this increasingly important domain for business and industry.

There is a growing need to create more local talent pools towards the growing demand for employment due to the emergence of ESG & Sustainability as an important domain of business today.

There is also the need for businesses to have strong ESG reports of Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR), so as to have higher investment ratings to attract investors and buyers globally. Poorly rated companies may face loss of orders or higher interest costs. Interestingly, in 2019, international Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) funds allocated USD 28 billion to India for sustainable developments

From data analysts to machine learning engineers- what is the extent of demand for graduates skilled in statistical data across diverse industries? Which are the fields/industry sectors, where such demand is the highest?

There is a high demand for graduates skilled in statistical data analysis across diverse industries. From data analysts to machine learning engineers, these professionals are sought after in fields such as finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and IT. Government agencies and research institutions are increasingly relying on them for policy decisions and socio-economic development, highlighting the dynamic and rewarding nature of statistical data science in India.

Addressing a common trend where students pursue similar courses abroad due to limited options in India, ISI's new courses aim to bridge this gap and provide a platform for students to explore diverse research avenues through their master's training.

In a separate initiative, ISI Delhi plans to establish science centres in Vasant Vihar and Karol Bagh, equipped with virtual reality and astronomical models. These centres aim to offer an interactive learning experience for students in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. The Directorate of Education will collaborate with firms to design and maintain the exhibits, with a total estimated installation cost of Rs3 crore.

It does not require any rocket science to understand that the study of statistics will be offering an increasingly lucrative career option, going forward.

Besides Statistics, ISI also offers various courses in other disciplines. Could you please throw some light on that?

Broadly, we have these divisions or departments: Statistical Science Division, Biological Sciences Division, Physics & Earth Sciences Division, Statistical Quality Control & Operations Research Division, Computer & Communications Science Division, Theoretical Statistics & Mathematics Division, Social Sciences Division. Besides, we have some centres for excellence, which include: The Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (CAIML), The Centre for Research on the Economics of Climate, Food, Energy & Environment (CECFEE), R C Bose Centre for Cryptology & Security (RCBCS) and The Centre for Soft Computing Research (CSCR).

We have also lined up plans to launch a new course in statistics - Bachelors of Statistics and Data Science in July. This four-year programme aims to offer an understanding of the integration of statistics and data science and on completion, students will be awarded an honours degree.

What are your plans and priorities to take ISI to the next level?

My priorities are clear. We will have to keep our theoretical studies and fundamental research as strong as ever and possibly make it stronger. Without disturbing our theoretical studies and fundamental research we will have to respond to the demand of time and focus on algorithms and other futuristic areas. We will have to strengthen our industry collaborations aggressively, at the same time taking sufficient safeguards. We will have to introduce new, contemporary and futuristic courses like Insurance Actuary (just to give you an example), ensuring that we get the best of faculties in these new areas (which of course is going to be a difficult task). There is immense potential and opportunities to get good work from the industry. But unless we proactively reach out to them aggressively, we will miss the bus. Yes, good projects are already coming from the industry but we need to develop an institutional structure, mechanism, and process to get and carry out those projects. We need to formalise the process. We are working on that.

We are also working on integrating more and more government-level data into our courses to enable our students to experience simulations with real-life data. Discussions are on at various stages with NHAI, Power Ministry, DRDO, and the government of Tripura, to mention a few. We would like to do more and more work for the government. We have experience creating the National Coal Index, and International Trade Index. We worked on the Wholesale Price Index and Consumer Price Index.

We are also reaching out to our alumni to meet all these goals in a structured manner.