New Delhi, October 18, 2024 — The 26th meeting of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) was held today at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, chaired by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood. This meeting brought together government officials, leaders from academic institutions, and industry representatives to discuss strategies for enhancing partnerships that can drive research and innovation (R&I) across the country.
Key government officials in attendance included Dr. V.K. Saraswat from NITI Aayog, Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, and Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, among others. Academic leaders included Prof. Govindan Rangarajan from IISc Bengaluru and Prof. Shireesh Kedare from IIT Bombay. Industry voices, such as Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon and Ms. Debjani Ghosh of NASSCOM, shared insights on effective collaboration models.
In his opening address, Prof. Sood stressed the need for robust industry-academia partnerships, particularly through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). He highlighted the importance of collaboration among stakeholders—industry, academia, and government—to maximize socio-economic benefits from R&I efforts.
Dr. V.K. Saraswat advocated for prioritizing areas of collaboration between industry and academia to accelerate innovation, emphasizing the need for India to become a product-driven nation. He called for a focus on frontier technologies and increasing industry exposure within academic circles to bolster the R&D ecosystem.
Presentations during the meeting centered on the triple helix model of collaboration and explored sector-specific challenges and opportunities. Discussions also included expanding this model to incorporate startups and venture capital, with an emphasis on the government’s role as both a customer and facilitator.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Sood reiterated the need for alignment among stakeholders to enhance R&D capabilities and address national priorities through impactful research and innovation strategies.
