Science & Technology

The Division seeks to strengthen the science, technology and innovation ecosystem in the country in association with Central Scientific Departments/Agencies by formulating science and technology-specific plans/ programmes and policies.

• The S&T Division of NITI Aayog is the nodal division for all matters related to science and technology. This includes examination and appraisal of S&T programmes of Agencies/Departments such as the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, including the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Space, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Department of Atomic Energy.

• The Division is also involved in policy interventions for various initiatives such as Ease of Doing Research & Development, Strengthening State S&T Councils, Development of a Unified Project Management System for monitoring all R&D projects in Government of India, and Promoting University-Industry-Academia collaboration o name a few. Besides, it is also engaged in activities like the formulation of the India Innovation Index, and improving India’s performance in the Global Innovation Index.

S&T Division, NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with the Foundation for Advancing Science & Technology, India (FAST India) on 27 August 2025 in support of NITI Aayog's Science & Technology priorities and jointly develop policy insights and recommendations.

S&T Division of the NITI Aayog is the nodal division for dealing with following Central Scientific Ministries/Departments:

• Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) including the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• Department of Space (DOS).
• Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

Global Innovation Index

NITI Aayog has been continuously working towards improving India’s ranking in the global indices, including the Global Innovation Index. The S&T Division is the nodal department in NITI with respect to improving India’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index. The Division has been in touch with the publishing agency World Intellectual Property Organisation as well as the Line Ministries to address gaps in the availability of reliable data. NITI Aayog is also working proactively towards bringing policy interventions that could leverage India’s underlying potential. Due to NITI Aayog’s sustained efforts, India improved its global position from the 52nd position in 2019 to the 48th position in 2020. The S&T Division is constantly in touch with top-ranking countries such as Switzerland and Sweden in the Global Innovation Index to understand their best practices for improving India’s ranking. Read the latest report here

India Innovation Index

The India Innovation Index is released by NITI Aayog every year, with the Institute for Competitiveness as a knowledge partner. The Index attempts to create an extensive framework for the continuous evaluation of the innovation environment of all States and Union Territories and rank them on the basis of their innovation index scores. NITI Aayog also handholds States and Union Territories in improving their rankings in the Index, which subsequently results in an improvement of India’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index. Read the latest report here
 

A Roadmap for Strengthening State S&T Councils Report

The report focuses on providing a roadmap that outlines and focuses on, Institutional and Structural reforms for improved coordination, Recommendations for funding models and capacity building, Technology foresight and mission-mode R&D along with focusing on methods that allow for increased Linkages and collaboration among University, Industry and Academia, State-specific strategies to localize innovation and align with national priorities.Read the report here
 

Improving the Culture of Research and Development (R&D) in State Universities and Institutes

The NITI Aayog report highlights key challenges in R&D at state universities and recommends targeted reforms across governance, funding, and industry linkages to boost research culture and output. It recommends nearly 80 policy interventions and over 125 performance indicators, including enhanced financial autonomy, establishment of Centers of Excellence, tax exemptions for SPUs, and stronger industry linkages to elevate research, governance, and employability outcomes.Read the report here

Pathways to Progress: Analysis and Insights into India's Innovation Story

The Report presents a holistic view of the country’s innovation landscape, spanning national and state-level initiatives, industry and grassroots efforts, the rise of a dynamic startup culture, and India’s standing in global benchmarks. The report not only maps achievements but also identifies structural challenges, while laying out actionable recommendations to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the years ahead. Read the report here

Ease of Doing Research & Development in India

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of India’s R&D ecosystem and outlines a set of actionable recommendations focused on improving funding mechanisms, institutional governance, regulatory frameworks, and research translation. It underscores the need for a more trust-based, outcome-oriented, and facilitative environment to enable researchers and institutions to perform at their full potential. Read the report here

S&T Outlook of States

NITI Aayog is developing an S&T Outlook of States Dashboard to support evidence-based policymaking and strengthen Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) across States and Union Territories. The dashboard will present key input and output indicators to highlight state-level strengths, monitor progress, and facilitate data-driven planning in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Deployment of the Unified Project Management System (UPMS)

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the National eGovernance Division (NeGD), is working on the deployment of the Unified Project Management System (UPMS) to strengthen monitoring, reporting, and analytics of government-funded R&D projects. The platform aims to enhance transparency, improve project management, and enable informed decision-making across scientific Ministries and Departments.

Roadmap for University–Industry–Government (UIG) Collaboration

NITI Aayog is developing a Roadmap for strengthening University–Industry–Government (UIG) collaboration to foster innovation, technology transfer, and research commercialization. The roadmap is being informed through consultations with academia, industry, research institutions, and government stakeholders across key sectors to identify challenges and recommend policy interventions.

Institutional Research Translation Score

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with FAST India, is developing the Institutional Research Translation Score to enable research institutions to assess and strengthen their research translation capabilities. The framework focuses on key aspects such as industry collaboration, technology translation, research outcomes, and institutional leadership to promote a culture of innovation and societal impact.