CURATORIAL NOTE
Bengaluru is India’s most recognized military-industrial-academic complex today. Sci560 is one way to question why that may be so.
Bengaluru is a rather distinct microcosm of India. Over time, we have known Bengaluru as India’s garden city, military city, industrial city, and today—as an IT city, hi-tech city, start-up city and at times, India’s own Silicon Valley. A dynamic twentieth century has shaped Bengaluru’s current status as the city of new science and engineering.
The confidence in Indian research-led industry today comes from accomplishments in information technology, biotechnology, and the space programme: little surprise then, that Bengaluru may well be the symbol of a New India. The city, however, has surprises to offer from a rich past in science and engineering, some of which has directly contributed to the three success stories that unfolded during the long twentieth century.
Explore, with us, some of the ideas, individuals, and institutions that make science in this city!
This exhibition-season is funded by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
Roland Wittje
Historian of Science
Roland Wittje is an Associate Professor in History of Science at the Museum of University History of the University of Oslo, Norway, and President of the Scientific Instrument Commission of the Division of History of Science and Technology / IUHPST. Roland has studied physics and history of science at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, and taught at the University of Regensburg and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. His research focuses on the history of the physical sciences and technology in the 19th and 20th centuries. Recent publications include ‘Cold Moves: Cryogenics in Indo-German Research Networks’ (Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte 2024) and ‘Relocating Education in the History of Science and Technology’ (History of Education 2023).
Naresh V Narasimhan
Architect
Naresh V Narasimhan is an architect, urbanist, and creative entrepreneur with over 38 years of experience. As the managing partner of Venkataramanan Associates, he has led award-winning projects and strategic urban interventions. He co-founded the Bangalore Agenda Task Force and Mod Foundation, which recently launched the BLR Design Centre to foster design-driven dialogue. Passionate about cultural and civic initiatives, he has contributed to projects like Bangalore International Centre, Suchitra Film and Cultural Academy and advises government agencies on urban development. A TEDx community member, he actively engages in social innovation, communication strategies, and cultural discourse to shape Bengaluru’s future.
