New Delhi, Nov 23 India is moving decisively toward academia–industry linkages that empower young scholars to imagine, innovate, and engage with emerging industrial sectors, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday.
Addressing the ninth Convocation of the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), the Minister said that the "i-PhD" program launched by AcSIR in 2023 is a novel academic concept linking imagination and innovation with industry.
The 'i' in i-PhD stands not only for industry, but also for imagination and innovation, Minister Singh added.
Every i-PhD scholar is mandated to develop a technology relevant to translational research or startups, making India's research training directly responsive to industrial needs, he said.
The Union Minister added that AcSIR represents a "wholesome whole", a convergence of science, education, governance and national aspiration, aligned with India's journey toward a 'Viksit Bharat'.
He said that AcSIR's rapid rise reflects the growing prioritisation of science and innovation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, where scientific thinking has become central to India's economic growth, technology missions, and global competitiveness.
The Minister highlighted that AcSIR today hosts nearly 7,000 students, mentored by more than 3,100 frontline scientists across 79 campuses, making it one of India's most diverse and multidisciplinary research ecosystems.
He said the institution has, in effect, grown into a "shared national university", drawing scholars and faculty from across disciplines and across the country, and increasingly serving as a platform for research dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaborative discovery.
Minister Singh added that when AcSIR was established, it represented a bold and novel experiment, an attempt to create an institutionalised pathway for research that transcended conventional academic boundaries.
"Many may not have understood the idea at first," he said, "but the rapid growth of campuses and rising demand shows that the country was ready for such an institution."
The Minister noted that AcSIR's success lies not merely in administrative support but in the enthusiasm of India's youth, who are choosing research and innovation as a meaningful and aspirational career for startups and livelihood.
He added that such programmes offer researchers a sustainable future, allowing them to contribute to society as entrepreneurs, consultants, and technology developers.
Minister Singh emphasised that as India moves from the world’s fifth-largest economy to eventually becoming the world’s leading economy, it will be "entirely innovation-driven, technology-driven, and industry-driven".
He said that AcSIR's scholars will have the opportunity to be "torchbearers of this journey", shaping India’s rise in deep-tech, health research, sustainable agriculture, climate science, and frontier technologies.
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