New Delhi: The Mumbai-based Lodha Foundation is all set to start the Lodha Theoretical Physics Institute or LTPI in May 2026, has been designated as a center for advanced research in fundamental physics. It is set to be led by Jainendra Jain, professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania and winner of the Wolf Prize in Physics, and will be held Mumbai Lodha Towers.
“When I first heard about what Abhishek Lodha and the foundation had planned for the facility, I thought it would be a paradise for theoretical physicists,” said Jain in an interview with ThePrint.
On March 18, Jain announcedd to a X post that he will be serving as Founding Director of LTPI, calling it “a very personal and important moment” for him. His post resurfaced LTPI to the public.
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Center will be officially launched with the first international conference ‘Emergent Phenomena in Quantum Hall Systems – 10’ (EPQHS), which will be held in Mumbai from 27 to 29 May. This conference, with a distinguished group of physicists and Nobel Prize-winning researchers from around the world, is held once every two years for scientists working in quantum physics.. Tit will be the first time i held in India.
“India has a lot of talent in physics, and researchers here are at par with their global counterparts. With LTPI, we want to give them an opportunity to express themselves,” said Jain.
A A physicist specializing in emerging quantum processes, Jain was born in Rajasthan and received his undergraduate education at Maharaja College, Jaipur, and his master’s degree in physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. After moving to the US for his PhD at Stony Brook University, he stayed in the country in various research and teaching positions. As the Founder Director of LTPI, he now plans to bridge the gap between Pennsylvania and Mumbai.
While talking about his vision for the Institute, Jain stressed that LTPI will have facilities and space for physicists to conduct pure research, without worrying about the mandatory teaching and administrative duties.
“Iit will allow all colleagues and members to carry out the research of their choice, with little to no daily life.”
Describing physics as a collective enterprise, Jain explained how LTPI will strive to build an environment where physicists from around the world can collaborate and learn.
The EPQHS conference is the first step in this vision The following speak are expected to participate in the meeting:
- Klaus von Klitzing, Nobel Prize laureate in Physics and Professor at the Max Planck Institute, Germany
- Bertrand Halperin, an influential theoretical physicist at Harvard University
- Allen MacDonald, pioneer of 2D material physics and professor at the University of Texas, Austin
- T Senthil, professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Building a clean science environment in India
In August 2025, the Lodha Foundation opened the Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI)a one-of-a-kind research center for pure mathematics. It is led Canadian mathematician Vijay Kumar Murthy and lovable celebrities as a Fields Medalist Manjul Bhargava, LMSI also works on the same principles of pure scientific research with minimal administrative tasks.
Although India is already home to institutes such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, it still lacks institutes dedicated solely to research and not education.
“The existing facilities are very good, but we will really focus on one thing, which is basic physics, and we will be a very strong facility,” Jain said. But of course, there is no competition here. We will all be working together, and it will be a win-win situation for India.
Currently, LTPI has not disclosed any information about other faculty members and the fellowships they will provide in the future. However, Jain shared information about what topics the center could explore and expand upon in the theoretical discussions.
“Naturally, quantum matter – my research area – will be one of my areas of focus,” Jain said. “We will also see how this field connects to quantum topological computing, which is attractive to mathematicians, physicists and computer scientists.”
LTPI again plans to work with the Indian government on its mission to build a STEM research environment, and through jobs like National Quantum Project. With the Indian talent pool and support from private organizations such as Lodha Foundation, Jain firmly believes that India’s standards of physics education can be changed. He also believes that LTPI will be able to attract global talent to India.
“We want to follow our nose, attack the most challenging problems in physics, and follow bold ideas. And the world’s talent goes where there is an opportunity to discover. We give them that opportunity..“
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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