India Deepens VAIBHAV Diaspora-Science Model to Drive Brain-Exchange and Innovation Partnerships
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Science & Technology | Office of Principal Scientific Adviser
At the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2025), the Government reaffirmed a shift from “brain drain” to “brain exchange,” strengthening institutional engagement with the global Indian scientific diaspora through the VAIBHAV Fellowship platform. At a round table with VAIBHAV Fellows from the US, Canada, Sweden, Australia and others, the government emphasised building long-term research ties, not episodic engagement.
Participants recommended student mobility mechanisms, enabling Indian students to train abroad and foreign researchers to work in Indian labs for extended periods. Fellows also called for simplified travel and conference-clearance frameworks, including a pre-approved global faculty list to expedite academic collaboration. Suggestions included extending VAIBHAV fellowships from three to five years, with performance-linked continuation, and strengthening public–private and cross-border research partnerships to translate lab-scale breakthroughs into industry solutions.
Discussions highlighted the importance of developing “systems for India“ — technology tailored to India’s scale, affordability and density, including in 5G/6G systems, biotech, and space technologies. The government cited India’s rising R&D outcomes — including majority domestic patent filings, breakthroughs in HPV and haemophilia gene therapy, and missions such as Chandrayaan-3 and space-based plant research — as markers of an advancing scientific ecosystem.
This initiative advances India’s global R&D partnerships, talent circulation, and innovation capacity, aligning with the Viksit Bharat 2047 knowledge-economy agenda. It strengthens the VAIBHAV framework as a long-term channel for diaspora-led mentorship, co-innovation, and deep-tech industrial linkages.
What is the VAIBHAV Fellowship? → A government fellowship that connects Indian institutions with overseas Indian researchers to advance frontier research, mentor scientists and students, and foster global-India innovation ecosystems through joint labs, collaborative projects, and mobility programmes.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India pair VAIBHAV-linked research with industry pipelines and venture funding so diaspora collaborations translate into deployable technologies and deep-tech ventures??
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