PM Modi visits IIT Madras to launch global brain mapping mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Indian Institute of Technology Madras on Sunday to dedicate the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre and unveil an international research initiative aimed at mapping the human brain across the lifespan.

The visit placed cutting-edge Indian science and youth-led research at the centre of national development, showcasing the country’s growing role in frontier technology and biomedical discovery.

Accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Modi began his engagements on the campus by offering prayers at the Jalakandeswarar Temple before inspecting the institute’s research facilities.

What did PM Modi launch at IIT Madras?

At the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, Modi formally dedicated the facility to the nation and launched its high-resolution brain-mapping mission. The initiative aims to map more than 100 human brains into three-dimensional cellular atlases, documenting neural architecture from the foetal stage through to old age.

Modi also released C-STROKE, a specialised human ischaemic stroke atlas containing more than 1,000 annotated microscopic sections taken from a stroke-affected brain. The data is designed to serve as an open scientific resource to help investigators worldwide identify new therapeutic targets for cerebrovascular disorders.

Bridging science with cultural heritage, Modi also inaugurated the IITM–Maestro Ilaiyaraaja Centre for Music Learning and Research on the campus. Set up in partnership with the celebrated composer's music company, the facility applies advanced computational and technological tools to musicology and education.

How the Chennai visit unfolded

The Prime Minister arrived at Chennai airport at 10.58 a.m., where he was received by Governor Arlekar, Chief Minister Vijay, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and local leaders.

Before heading to IIT Madras, Modi and Vijay flagged off the inaugural passenger run on the new stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II network at Porur, travelling together on board the train to Poonamallee.

Beyond campus research, the Prime Minister dedicated several infrastructure projects across Tamil Nadu, spanning transport, maritime logistics and energy.

Which major projects were inaugurated in Tamil Nadu?

Modi laid foundation stones and inaugurated national highway improvements worth roughly Rs 3,700 crore, including four-laned sections of NH-744 and the Madurai Ring Road on NH-744A, alongside the Thiruvarur Bypass on NH-83.

On the railways, he dedicated the Karaikal–Peralam line, three rail flyovers around Coimbatore, and five upgraded Amrit Stations at Palani, Vellore Cantonment, Ambasamudram, Paramakkudi and Namakkal.

Maritime works included four new facilities at Chennai Port, cargo and energy infrastructure across VO Chidambaranar Port, and works at Kamarajar Port. In the energy sector, Modi laid the foundation stone for a Rs 1,620 crore lubricant base stock project at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited's Manali refinery, rounding out an itinerary focused on modernising India's economic and technological backbone.