The Royal Society of Chemistry formed in 1980 by merging our predecessor societies now publishes over 55 world-leading journals that span the core chemical sciences and related fields, known for its rigorous, fair peer review, fast publication times and reputed editorial board. As a learned society, we are passionate and committed to advance the chemical science, develop its applications, and disseminate knowledge in the community. The Royal Society of Chemistry maintains a strong global presence through its international offices, partnerships with key societies, publications, and scientific outreach.
We established our office in India in 2010 in Bangalore to foster scientific advancement and strengthen our ties with the researcher community here. India contributes to the second largest submissions to our portfolio of journals and its influence is growing rapidly. However, our connection with India goes back further than that. There have been engagements to promote chemical sciences in India since 1947 and have held many events since then in various cities over the years. We have five active local sections in India promoting chemical science. Our engagement with the Indian community caters to multiple levels and initiatives. For example, through our Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Science Programme, we have trained over 55000 teachers and 5137 school students across the country. And we have organised several programmes for research collaborations between India and the UK. We also have a strong membership community in India with more than 400 MRSC and 600 fellows.
The remarkable growth in publications by Indian authors in our journals is a clear indicator of the rising prominence of Indian science. In 2009, India was the 12th highest country in terms of papers published. Now India has become the second largest in submissions and publications in RSC journals. This reflects not only the development of Indian research, but also our commitment to engage with Indian scientists. We have been conducting various scientific events across India to motivate and train young researchers to take up chemistry as a career. We provide professional platforms to connect scientists with each other that fosters collaboration and exchange of ideas. RSC Meet the Editors is an impactful program that we have been conducting over the years to provide researchers, especially those in the early stages of their careers, with the opportunity to engage directly with both Indian and international editorial board members and RSC editorial team. In addition, we have major global initiatives for our Indian community such as Chemical Science Leaders in the Field Symposium to highlight cutting-edge chemistry research and giving it the visibility it deserves to drive scientific progress and make a meaningful impact. Reflecting on last year’s publishing programs we conducted in India; it was an outstanding success and exemplified our commitment to excellence. This includes meet the editors in different portfolios, celebration of ChemComm 60th anniversary and ChemSci symposium series and various conference support and online webinars. We also celebrated various milestones in Indian research last year with dedicated themed collections, including 10th anniversary of INST Mohali and celebrating the 100th birthday of Professor Sukh Dev.
ChemComm 60th Year Symposium hosted at Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science on 22 November 2024
Chemical Science Leaders in the Field Symposium 2024 hosted at IISER Thiruvananthapuram from 9 to 11 December 2024
Poster session from the RSC Meet the Editors 2025 at Indian Institute of Science
The support from partners such as the Chemical Research Society of India and academic institutions inspires us to deliver programmes that not only serve India but also position Indian science in a global context. We are excited about the plans we aim to pursue in the coming months and years ahead. We are here to keep you informed and inspired; share upcoming programs, events, and activities that connect, support and celebrate our vibrant scientific community. The India publishing team is led by Dr Aparna Ganguly, Editorial Development Manager – India, with support from Assistant Editorial Development Managers, Dr Lijina MP and Dr Aayushi Arora and also supported by Editorial Assistant Anuradha Singh. Together we manage diverse activities and collaborations to support the author community and editorial development to drive visibility of RSC’s key journals within the chemical science community in India.
We are excited to welcome you to the official blog of RSC India publishing. This blog is to bring you closer to our work, values and vision.
Stay tuned for the next post!