The progress of science has had a profound effect on our lives and the world as a whole. There is, however, a realization that many of the advances could have been achieved in a much improved manner if the solutions were built on an interdisciplinary approach. In such a case, the benefits derived from progress of science in one area would have led to lesser conflicts in another area. Therefore, “sustainability” has increasingly become central point of public discourse for science in the new millennium. Basic scientists need to have an understanding of the realities of the environment and the context of their discoveries.  Without this realization, discoveries made in one laboratory have to be buffered by discoveries made at other laboratories to maximize the benefits and minimize the pitfalls. The most desirable situation would be when scientists work together to design their discoveries and inventions in a multidisciplinary environment where there is a common goal to adopt approaches and methodologies that give best outcomes. In this context, academia, government and industry are increasingly convinced that current problems in areas such medicine, ecology, and energy, research questions are best addressed through an interdisciplinary approach. However, relevant training, formation of a good research team, funding and evaluation are challenges that are common across the world, including India. Hence, we propose to organize a three day Kolleg on “Interdisciplinary science: catalyst for sustainable progress” with Humboldtians, eminent scientists, engineers and clinicians from India and Germany to deliberate various aspects of Interdisciplinary endeavors, such as energy and materials, chemical biology, computational science and interdisciplinary thinking to increase the awareness and possibilities of an interdisciplinary collaborating environment, and foster establishment of multidisciplinary network. Researchers contributing directly or indirectly in the mentioned areas or working at the interface of two or more areas will be involved in the meeting. It is expected that the Kolleg will create a platform for the participants to learn about cutting-edge research developments which requires interdisciplinary approach, draft recommendations for future research, and network with Humboldtians and eminent scientists and German scholars to strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations for sustainable progress and robust scientific endeavors.