The corporate VP and managing director of Microsoft Research India Lab, reflects on how computer science and engineering research has grown at the centre
Sriram K Rajamani, Corporate VP and managing director, Microsoft Research India Lab
Image: Harichandran Arakali
Lessons from the Microsoft Research India Lab (MSR) that could apply to the broader ecosystem of startups include hiring exceptional people and giving them the elbow room to work their magic. At the same time, ensuring useful feedback from peers within the organisation and the broader scientific community has made the difference, Sriram K Rajamani, corporate VP and managing director, tells Forbes India. Edited excerpts:
Q. Give us a sense of the research work that’s come out of this centre over the years.
Our research journey has been remarkable. Some of the hypotheses we formulated two decades ago still hold true today, alongside significant refinements and shifts. I can delve into both the constants and changes within our work.
One enduring area of our focus has been the mathematical foundations of computing, particularly algorithms and complex theoretical problems. Since the inception of our lab, we’ve been deeply engaged in advancing this domain, leveraging India’s strong tradition in theoretical computer science.
Our centre has achieved breakthroughs in tackling some long-standing open problems. One example is the work done by Nikhil Srivastava, a former colleague, on the Kadison-Singer Conjecture, bridging the realms of physics and computer science. He’s now continuing his career at Berkeley.
(This story appears in the 12 July, 2024 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)