New framework to standardise innovation assessment, boost deeptech ecosystem

New Delhi, Dec 30 The government has unveiled a new framework to establish a unified, objective yardstick to measure the maturity of technology projects from laboratory conception to commercial deployment.

The framework is open for public consultation until January 31, 2026. It aims to serve as the operational backbone for various R&D funds launched under National Missions.

Highlighting the critical need for a common language between researchers and investors, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the government, said that for too long, the Indian deeptech ecosystem has faced a precarious situation where academia and industry speak different dialects regarding technology readiness.

“This mismatch often creates a 'Valley of Death' between TRL 4 and TRL 7, where funding dries up due to perceived risks. The NTRAF moves us from subjective narratives to objective evidence, ensuring that we are not just funding science experiments, but scalable, market-ready solutions," he stated while unveiling the National Technology Readiness Assessment Framework (NTRAF).

Describing the document as a "definitive guide" for the scientific community, Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the PSA (OPSA), noted that “By establishing a common language for technology maturity, we aim to bridge the often-subjective gap between a researcher’s claim of readiness and an investor’s or evaluator’s requirement for proof.”

Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), emphasised that technology readiness must run parallel to market validation, particularly beyond TRL 4.

He also suggested a pilot phase where 20 selected technologies may be cross-validated by the NRDC to calibrate and stress-test the framework before its broader adoption.

The experts emphasised the industry’s role in shaping the tool, noting that its stringent standards ensure any startup claiming to be ‘deployment-ready’ meets true industrial-grade validation.

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