In fact, you really do have to be a rocket scientist to attend some classes. Madras is also closely tied to the country's most important nuclear research organization, the Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research. With government grants declining, administrators have increasingly turned to the private sector for funding. This year, Ford Motor Co. endowed a chair at Madras to study auto technology, safety and the environment. The ties between academia and industry are strong in other ways.
Many graduates go on to noteworthy business careers.
Four of India's biggest companies involved in advanced research, including software developer Infosys and Hindustan Aeronautics, have Madras alumni at the helm. It's not exactly rustic. There are shopping centers, a hospital, sports facilities, a post office and community centers. It may be, as long as you can cope with not being the brightest student on campus. By Arjuna Ranawana 4.