The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) which is part of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, introduced the Patent Acquisition and Collaborative Research and Technology Development (PACE) scheme back in 2012.
The CSRI (Cognitive Science Research Initiative) is India’s effort to demonstrate a structured framework nationwide for interdisciplinary cognitive science research. It was spearheaded by the DST (Department of Science and Technology) in 2008.The Indian context presents unique challenges, such as diverse mindsets, languages and cognitive disorders.
The India Innovation for Graphene (IICG), a pivotal initiative aimed at propelling India's capabilities in Graphene Research, Development, and commercialization. Established through a collaboration between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Government of Kerala, Tata Steel Limited, Digital University of Kerala (DUK), and the Centre for Materials for the Electronics Technology (C-MET), IICG is strategically located at Maker Village in Kochi.
The Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence initiative started in 2009 by the Department of Science and Technology in India. Its core objective is to enhance the research capability of universities across India. Since its formation PURSE has played a major role in improving the existing research infrastructure and landscape, supporting over 82 universities and investments over Rupees 1227 Crores.
In order to combat such challenges, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is implementing a comprehensive initiative, Women in Science and Engineering- KIRAN to address the problems faced by women scientists due to “break-in-career” and strengthen women’s participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
The Indian government launched a ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds in Union Budget 2025 to concentrate on deep-tech startups as part of its mission to enhance sectors including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, biotechnology and semiconductors. This program seeks to establish India as a worldwide frontier technology leader through the provision of initial stage funding and innovation networks development.
Considering this vision, the Union Budget 2025-26 introduces an umbrella scheme, “Vigyan Dhara”.While it may initially seem like rebranding existing concepts, the scheme effectively consolidates three ongoing initiatives of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) into one cohesive framework.