4 NIT Rourkela researchers head to Japan on JST LOTUS exchange
By TUF News Desk · Published 7 November 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Four researchers from the National Institute of Technology Rourkela will leave for Japan in January 2027. All four were selected for the LOTUS Research Exchange Programme, run by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and will spend between one and three years at four Japanese universities.
Ganesh Shiva Sagar, a third-year PhD scholar in civil engineering, will spend a year at Nagoya University under Prof Igarashi Go. His PhD work at NIT Rourkela, supervised by Prof Subhajit Mondal, looks at recreating 2,000-year-old Roman concrete, known for how long it lasts. In Japan he will test how the recreated concrete holds up in different conditions and whether it can be used for longer-lasting infrastructure. Sagar is from Hyderabad and completed an MTech in structural engineering before joining NIT Rourkela.
Puja Dokonia, from the biotechnology and medical engineering department, has the longest stint of the four. She has won a three-year LOTUS-ASPIRE postdoctoral fellowship at Osaka University, where she will work under Prof Hiroshi Uyama of the Graduate School of Engineering. Her work covers sustainable nanomaterials, environmental biotechnology, and antimicrobial and antibiofilm technologies, along with environmental remediation. Her PhD supervisor at NIT Rourkela is Prof Angana Sarkar.
The other two researchers are both PhD scholars in mechanical engineering. Kanathala Yojitha, who works under Dr B Kiran Naik, will research at the University of Fukui under Prof Chaobin Dang. Her project has funding of JPY 4.452 million for the period from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. Sameer Kumar Verma, who works under Dr Kishore Singh Patel and Dr B Kiran Naik, will work at Kyushu University under Dr Kazuki Kuga. His project has received the same funding, JPY 4.452 million, for the same period.
What the LOTUS programme offers
LOTUS, short for Promoting International Talent Circulation by Inviting Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Researchers from India, funds research exchanges between Indian and Japanese institutions. The LOTUS Basic track supports stays of up to a year. LOTUS-ASPIRE supports longer stays, up to three years, for researchers working toward independent papers and conference presentations. Both tracks are open to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers aged 40 or younger at Indian universities and research institutions.
The numbers show the programme is growing. In a reply to Parliament in July, the government said about 1,000 Indian graduate students and postdoctoral researchers would be supported under LOTUS in the financial year 2026, and 345 had been selected since the programme began in the financial year 2024.
For PhD aspirants, the NIT Rourkela selections show what the programme looks for: an ongoing joint research project between an Indian institution and a Japanese one, with supervisors on both sides. Students weighing a research career can read our guide to scholarships for Indian university students and our guide to choosing a university in India for how funding and research options compare. Details of the programme are on the official LOTUS programme page, and the institute’s own announcements are on the official NIT Rourkela website.
Frequently asked questions
Which NIT Rourkela researchers were selected for the LOTUS programme?
Ganesh Shiva Sagar, Puja Dokonia, Kanathala Yojitha and Sameer Kumar Verma were selected for the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s LOTUS Research Exchange Programme.
Which Japanese universities will the four researchers work at?
They will work at Nagoya University, Osaka University, the University of Fukui and Kyushu University.
How long do LOTUS research exchanges last?
The LOTUS Basic track supports stays of up to one year, while LOTUS-ASPIRE supports longer stays of up to three years.
Frequently asked questions
Which NIT Rourkela researchers were selected for the LOTUS programme?
Ganesh Shiva Sagar, Puja Dokonia, Kanathala Yojitha and Sameer Kumar Verma were selected for the Japan Science and Technology Agency's LOTUS Research Exchange Programme.
Which Japanese universities will the four researchers work at?
They will work at Nagoya University, Osaka University, the University of Fukui and Kyushu University.
How long do LOTUS research exchanges last?
The LOTUS Basic track supports stays of up to one year, while LOTUS-ASPIRE supports longer stays of up to three years.
Sources: The Times of India, Odisha Today, Japan Science and Technology Agency