The aim of the visit is to agree the strategic direction of our partnership with the Government of India over the next five years.
Positioned around the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the visit will further provide UKRI with the opportunity to celebrate the role of women in UKRI-supported programmes in India.
Co-hosted roundtable
On 10 February, Professor Leyser and Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary to India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) co-hosted a roundtable to reflect on joint successes and agree the strategic direction for our partnership.
Participants included senior representatives from:
- India’s Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council
- the Department of Atomic Energy
- the Department of Biotechnology
- the Department of Telecommunication
- the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)
- the Ministry of Earth Sciences
- the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
At the roundtable, UKRI and key partners from the Government of India made a commitment to work together on areas of mutual importance including:
- renewable energy
- climate and its impact on food security and infrastructure
- the role of social sciences in creating resilient futures
Through close collaboration in these areas, the UK and India will deliver a partnership focussed on sustainable growth domestically and globally.
New models of working together
There was also a commitment to explore new models of working together. This includes programmes that bring innovative products to market quickly and further strengthen UK-India people-to-people links.
The roundtable further acknowledged the need to embed the values of inclusivity in UK-India research and innovation. It was agreed that UKRI and our Indian partners will jointly explore practical ways to create a UK-India funding environment that better supports the needs of our diverse communities.
A new memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed during the meeting. ICSSR and UKRI signed an MOU agreeing to support mutual priorities through UK-India social sciences research initiatives.
Two new projects
Professor Leyser and Professor Karandikar also announced two new UK-India research projects funded under the UKRI-DST Future Telecoms programme, launched in July 2024.
The programme is a collaboration between UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and India’s DST. The programme will develop advanced tools and technologies that underpin the future of communications and drive solutions for next generation connectivity.
The new projects are:
Synergy taking openness to the next level in 6G networks
Indian partner: Dr Antony Franklin, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
UK partner: Professor Mahesh Marina, University of Edinburgh
Intelligent spectrum innovation (ICON)
Indian partner: Professor Adrish Banerjee, Jodhpur
UK partner: Professor Rahim Tafazolli, Institute University of Surrey
Building strong relationships
Speaking at the meeting, Professor Leyser highlighted the crucial role that UKRI India plays in fostering strong relationships with partners across India. She welcomed the positive direction across a wide range of research and innovation.
Professor Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive said:
I am delighted that UKRI and our Government of India partners are deepening our long-standing and fruitful partnership over the next five years.
This will allow us to explore new ways of working on research and innovation questions of mutual interest, while building strong relationships with partners across India.
Inclusive growth
Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary DST said:
We have built a strong partnership with UKRI. We are committed to enhancing this partnership and driving an inclusive innovation eco-system to address global challenges and build a brighter future for all.
Platforms like this roundtable provide an opportunity to contribute steadily to the progress of science and foster successful collaborations.
Our collective potential
Sukanya Kumar, Director of UKRI India, said:
Today marks a special occasion for UKRI India, as we welcome Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, our Chief Executive, to celebrate the progress we’ve made in partnership with the Government of India.
I welcome the commitment to work even more closely to continue delivering impact that improves lives in the UK, India, and across the globe. I look forward to working with colleagues in UKRI and our Government of India partners to realise our collective potential.
An important milestone
Professor Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary ICSSR, said:
ICSSR is proud to deepen its partnership with UKRI through this landmark agreement.
The MoU represents an important milestone in connecting researchers and institutions from both countries, empowering them to co-create knowledge and innovation that will influence policy and improve lives in meaningful ways.
Celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
In addition to meeting government partners, UKRI will celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in partnership with the British High Commission on 11 February.
Professor Leyser will host a panel discussion with UKRI funded women researchers at the forefront of research and innovation in UK-India projects.
On the occasion, UKRI India will launch video, ‘Why Science Needs Women Like Me’ which illustrates why the participation of women is vital to research and innovation.
A joint UK-India working group will also be established to explore what the research and innovation communities can do to encourage more equality, diversity, and inclusion in our collaborations.
Further information
UKRI India
UKRI India plays a key role in enhancing the research and innovation collaboration between the UK and India.
Since 2008, UKRI India has facilitated funding commitment close to £400 million between the UK, India and third parties.
This collaboration supports more than 260 individual projects, funded by over 15 funding agencies, bringing together more than 220 lead institutions from the UK and India.
These projects have generated more than £450 million in further funding, mainly from public bodies but also from non-profit organisations and commercial entities, attesting the relevance of these projects.
View the blog by Sukanya Kumar, Director of UKRI India featuring UKRI India’s past initiatives and exploring new avenues: Thriving through research and innovation.
Watch The UK-India KoolMill story: thriving through research and innovation (YouTube).
Top image: Credit: Unsplash