India gearing up to establish itself as global leader in deep-tech cooperation

New Delhi: India is quietly preparing to establish itself as a global leader in deep-technology cooperation through a series of policy and institutional reforms that go beyond traditional science diplomacy.

According to an internal government brief for the Empowering Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025, reviewed by The Millennium Post, the government is finalising a proposal to create a Global Deep-Tech Alliance, a platform of 11 cutting-edge domains that will unite countries of the Global South in a “science-led multilateral format”, inspired by the spirit of the G20.

The document outlines that the initiative, to be unveiled during the Prime Minister’s concluding session at ESTIC, will seek to consolidate research efforts in emerging technologies such as quantum computing, semiconductors, bio-manufacturing, green hydrogen, and advanced

materials. Officials familiar with the plan said the alliance is envisioned as “India’s science counterpart to the G20”,

linking research, manufacturing, and capacity-building across friendly nations under the Viksit Bharat 2047 framework.

In tandem with this, the government is also moving towards creating a Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, a sovereign-style financing mechanism for high-risk scientific ventures. The fund, proposed under the Department of Science and Technology’s upcoming reforms, will pool public and private capital to support strategic technologies identified as critical to national security and industrial competitiveness. The document states that a “national round table chaired by the Prime Minister” will oversee the fund’s formation, aligning it with India’s broader technology sovereignty goals.

The RDI Fund will prioritise deep-tech enterprises working in frontier domains such as quantum systems, space manufacturing, precision biotherapeutics, and sustainable materials, marking a significant shift from grant-based funding towards blended models of innovation finance.

Parallelly, the government is preparing to institutionalise the VAIBHAV 2.0 framework, an advanced phase of the scientific diaspora engagement initiative launched in 2020. The framework proposes a “permanent exchange system” between overseas Indian scientists and domestic R&D institutions through collaborative fellowships, virtual research hubs, and industry partnerships.

The model aims to “convert India’s global brain circulation into a structured national asset”, with digital platforms linking diaspora researchers to sector-specific “STAR-C” capability hubs.

Together, these measures mark a new phase in India’s science diplomacy one that shifts from symbolic representation to global coordination of deep-tech ecosystems underpinned by domestic innovation and diaspora networks.