Raipur, May 20, 2026: The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced selection of ten Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoEs) institutions to establish pioneering Centres under the Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoE) programme.
To promote the deep integration of scientific knowledge within social science and humanities frameworks for addressing complex and systemic challenges through a multi-disciplinary research approach, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced the selection of ten Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoEs) institutions under one of its flagship initiatives, the Convergence Research Centres of Excellence (CoE) programme.
The initiative seeks to establish pioneering Centres that bring together Social Sciences, Humanities, Science, and Technology to address complex societal challenges through integrated and transdisciplinary research, official sources said today.
The ten ANRF-CoEs selected under the various thematic areas are:
| Sl. No. | Name of the institute | Project Title | Broad Thematic Area |
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar | Centre for Human-Climate Interactions and Environmental Histories (CHIEH) | Archaeology and Traditional Knowledge systems |
| 2 | National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru | Centre For Excellence in Archaeomaterials, Archaeometallurgy, Earth Sciences & Conservation Research | Archaeology and Traditional Knowledge systems |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras | SAṂYoga – Center for Sanskrit AI Music and Yoga | Archaeology and Traditional Knowledge systems |
| 4 | National Institute of Technology (NIT) Agartala | AI-assisted Digital Curation and Global Promotion of North-East Indian Folklore: A Focus on Manipur and Tripura | Digital Humanities |
| 5 | Institute for Human Development (IHD), Delhi | Transformative AI and the Indian Labour Market: A Multidisciplinary Study on the Impact of Generative AI in Select High-Adoption Service Sectors | Digital Humanities |
| 6 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad | Centre of Excellence for Rural Livelihoods and Development (CoE-RLD): A Hub for Integrated Planning for Rural Sustainability and Resilience | Rural Development |
| 7 | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu | Centre of Excellence on Digital Empowerment and Livelihood Development of Artisans (CoE-DELDA) | Rural Development |
| 8 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur | Centre of Excellence: Centre for Research and Intervention in Language Performance | Health and Psychology |
| 9 | Chanakya University | Center for Languages and Lifeworlds | Emerging Technologies for Social Issues |
| 10 | PSGR Krishnammal College for Women | Developing a Techno-Managerial Framework to Accelerate MSMEs Transition from Conventional to Contemporary Technologies through Academia-Industry Partnerships towards a Resilient, Sustainable, and Smart Innovation Ecosystem | Computational Economics |
The programme requires that each Centre involves intra- or inter-disciplinary collaboration, either within the same institution or across different academic, publicly funded organizations under various Ministries/Departments, or private institutions.
The Co-PIs associated with these Centres represent a diverse network. Collectively, they come from 20 collaborating institutes which includes State Universities, Central Universities, Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), National Institute of Technology (NITs), Private Universities, Colleges and recognized R&D institutions, the officials added.
The programme received an overwhelming response from academic and research institutions, with 945 proposals submitted, reflecting its strong relevance and national significance.
The ANRF Convergence Research Centres of Excellence Programme draws inspiration from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for multidisciplinary education, research, and stronger integration across knowledge domains.
It is also aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, which seeks to transform India into a developed, inclusive, innovative, and self-reliant nation by the centenary of independence.
By combining scientific depth with contextual understanding, the programme aims to address regional and national challenges through holistic approaches. In an era shaped by artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data analytics, such convergence can unlock new pathways for socioeconomic progress and support the Sustainable Development Goals.
