R'n'D in India

These days a lot is going on in IIT Bombay to encourage people to go into research. From conducting "why am i in IIT?" sessions to inviting professors to every hostel to tell people about their field of research. It is nice that IIT is gearing up to meet the challenges for the future. But with all the good students either opting to go abroad or go for the booming "IT sector" or becoming cyber coolies the people left in fundamental research is dwindling. I think to stop people from moving out to other avenues it is very important to strike the propblem at the root itself. If we look at the things that people go for after their graduation we have the following:

Remuneration: This seems to be byfar the most important aspect while considering for a career. It is true that when one completes his P.hD his starting salary is high. But, junta takes such thing in a very short time horizon. maybe a 6 months or a year. A PhD at IIT gets hardly 8-10k where as a starting salary for a IIT graduate these days is 30k which is 3 times the stipend of a PhD.

Travel: Another lucrative offer for doing research could be the lure of foreing conferences. But have a look at the funding provided for attending conferences. It is a pittance in india. At the same time MIT offers $1500 just for attending conferences per student every year. In IIT the offer is abysmal, where IIT offers Rs.25000 and for the rest of the funding you will haev to apply to DST,GoI and other funding agencies. So this is also not lucrative enough.

Reserch: Now coming down to the work. Reserch here is severly strifled by the lack of infrastructure. One of my friend says that he is tired of modelling and simualating and wants to do some experimental research and for that purpose the is apping to the US. May be the argument is very far fetched, but it is true. We at IIT have a cluster( 64 nodes, blah blah). But half the time all nodes are down and other half the time 50% nodes are down. so even the compuatational power available to these reaearch institutes is pathetic to say the least.

Life after: so what after a P.hD in india? you spent 5 years working hard in front of a terminal and here you are. The placements are very good for people in CSE and Electrical but pathetic for the other departments. It starting salary of a Chemical Engg. P.hD would be 7-8 lacs which is way below the opportunity cost lost. During those 5 years they couldhave earned min 5*5=25 lacs plus 2-3 promotions.
The only avenue that you have now is getting on a CSIR lab or become a prof. There is hardly any industry opening.

I believe that rather that advertising about their research areas the faculty should look into these problem which have a greater weightage in the minds of a young graduate at the turning point of their life.