Key Details
Launched in 2020, the S&T Clusters initiative now comprises eight regional clusters, of which six have progressed to Phase 2.0. The clusters operate as autonomous consortia connecting research institutions with companies, start-ups, public agencies and communities around region-specific problems.
Area | Reported development during 2025–26 |
|---|---|
Healthcare | The inter-cluster Digital Podiatry network has screened more than 10,000 patients and, according to the report, helped prevent over 1,500 limb amputations |
Agriculture | PI-RAHI deployed 31 solar-powered automatic weather stations across Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir; RICH initiated digital interventions targeting 1,000 farmers |
MSME transition | RICH onboarded more than 1,000 MSMEs across 15 energy-intensive clusters and completed energy and carbon audits for over 300 enterprises |
Environmental technology | DRIIV’s industrial pilot reported a more than 90% reduction in petroleum hydrocarbons in oily sludge and led to a joint patent |
Innovation financing | Individual clusters mobilised funding from government, CSR, philanthropic and international partners, but the report does not provide a consolidated programme-wide total |
International cooperation | The first International Conference on S&T Clusters resulted in 12 international MoUs, followed by research partnerships with institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom |
Cluster | Principal areas highlighted in the report |
|---|---|
Bengaluru-BeST | One Health, digital health and precision agriculture |
Bhubaneswar-BCKIC | Climate resilience, coastal livelihoods, healthcare and clean technology |
Chandigarh | Agriculture, indigenous technology, medical devices, waste and green mobility |
Delhi-DRIIV | Environmental sustainability, water security and emerging technologies |
Hyderabad-RICH | Health technology, green economy and smart farming |
Jodhpur-JCKIC | Handicrafts, medical technology and water conservation |
Pune-PKC | One Health, sustainability, mobility, STEM and data applications |
Visakhapatnam-AMTZ | Medical technology, advanced materials, automation and e-waste |
Regional Networks Are Becoming Technology-Deployment Platforms
S&T clusters address a gap between research and real-world adoption by connecting technology developers with hospitals, industry, government, regulators and other users.
Their work in 2025–26 shows different routes from research to deployment:
BeST Bengaluru expanded an AI-enabled diabetic-foot screening system from clinical research to district hospitals and another regional cluster.
PI-RAHI Chandigarh advanced an indigenous liver-cancer treatment, microbial hyaluronic-acid technology and AI-enabled welding.
DRIIV Delhi worked with refineries, airports and industry to validate technologies for oily sludge, air quality, water treatment, plastic conversion and workplace safety.
RICH Hyderabad linked hospitals with MedTech developers, supported 20 healthcare start-ups and identified cleaner technologies for MSMEs through energy audits.
The clusters therefore function less as conventional research funders and more as intermediaries connecting technologies with the institutions needed to test, adopt and scale them.
What Is an S&T Cluster? A regional network connecting research institutions, companies, start-ups, governments and users to develop, test and deploy science- and technology-based solutions.
Regional Priorities Shape Different Innovation Portfolios
The model allows each cluster to respond to its local economy and development needs. Bhubaneswar combines coastal livelihoods, climate resilience, healthcare and waste-to-value projects; Jodhpur focuses on handicrafts, water conservation and medical technologies; Pune on One Health, urban sustainability and mobility; and Vizag on medical devices, advanced materials, automation and e-waste.
At the same time, the network can allow successful approaches to travel across regions. Bengaluru’s Digital Podiatry Clinic has expanded to another cluster, while shared training and the proposed Innovation Passport could give innovators access to facilities, mentorship and regulatory support across the network.
Evidence of Scale Remains Uneven
The annual report records projects, beneficiaries, partnerships, technologies and funding, but clusters use different indicators, making performance difficult to compare. Some report field outcomes; others primarily report activities, partnerships or planned deployment.
A consolidated assessment would need comparable information on:
public funding and external resources mobilised;
technologies moving from pilot to procurement or commercial adoption;
start-ups, patents and licences resulting from cluster support;
beneficiaries reached through scaled interventions; and
projects discontinued or failing to achieve intended outcomes.
Without such measures, it remains difficult to identify which interventions deliver the greatest public value and merit replication. Pune’s Project Review and Monitoring Committee has similarly called for stronger outcome-based monitoring.
Policy Relevance
Regional intermediation fills a genuine institutional gap. Clusters can help research organisations find users, test technologies in operating environments and navigate the path from demonstration to adoption.
Phase 2.0 should be assessed through outcomes. Project counts and MoUs reveal activity, but continued support should also reflect deployment, adoption, beneficiary outcomes and resources mobilised.
Common indicators need not erase regional flexibility. A small national results framework can permit comparison while allowing every cluster to retain its own thematic priorities.
Inter-cluster replication can reduce duplication. Technologies validated in one region should have a defined route to testing, procurement and adaptation elsewhere.
Public agencies must be involved before pilots end. Early participation by hospitals, municipalities, regulators and state departments improves the likelihood that successful technologies enter regular service delivery.
Follow the Full Report Here: Science and Technology Clusters Annual Report 2025–26