Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste welcomes the Secretary of the Indian Department of Science and Technology

On 3 September 2025, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste had the honor to host Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India, accompanied by an official delegation.

Welcomed by President and CEO Alfonso Franciosi and Chief Scientific Officer Giorgio Paolucci, the guests were introduced to the activities of the center and, in particular, to the long-standing collaboration between Italy and India. This partnership began nearly thirty years ago and was consolidated in 2016 with the inauguration of two dedicated beamlines: XRD2, for macromolecular crystallography and micro-diffraction, and XPRESS, focused on high-pressure diffraction studies. Today, these beamlines are among the most requested at Elettra, serving as key resources for the Indian and international scientific communities.

The delegation visited the Elettra experimental hall, the accelerator-related electronics and magnetism laboratories, and the FERMI hall, the free-electron laser that enables unique investigations of ultrafast processes. A special moment was devoted to meeting Indian researchers, past and present, affiliated with Elettra, highlighting the enduring value of scientific and training exchanges between the two countries.

The visit confirmed Elettra’s role as an international platform for knowledge and innovation, while underlining the strategic importance of Italy–India cooperation, which is set to gain further momentum with the realization of Elettra 2.0.