Highlights:
- India seeks global Indian researchers through the Prime Minister’s Research Chair Scheme.
- The initiative targets experts in science, technology, and innovation.
- Research chairs will be created at leading Indian institutions.
- Focus areas include AI, quantum technology, biotechnology, and semiconductors.
- The scheme aims to strengthen India’s global research and innovation ecosystem.
FOR decades, the Indian diaspora has been one of our country’s greatest strengths, serving as a living bridge between India and the world, contributing to innovation ecosystems, shaping global discourse, and strengthening economic and cultural ties.
Today, as India positions itself at the forefront of frontier technologies and knowledge production, and embarks on an ambitious upward path, a new opportunity presents itself to deepen this partnership: the Prime Minister’s Research Chair Scheme.
This initiative seeks to attract eminent scholars, scientists and innovators of Indian origin who have established distinguished careers at leading universities, research institutions and in industry around the world. The scheme provides a structured mechanism for these experts to contribute their knowledge and experience to India’s development by creating prestigious research chairs at the country’s premier institutions.
The Prime Minister’s Research Chair Scheme is an important pillar in the larger national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Achieving this vision demands breakthroughs in science and technology, frontier research, innovation-led industries, and the ability to create intellectual property that powers economic prosperity.
The Government of India has consistently emphasized that a developed India must also be a knowledge leader, capable of generating solutions not only for its own citizens but for the world. The Prime Minister’s Research Chair Scheme directly contributes to this ambition. By encouraging interdisciplinary research and close collaboration between academia, government, and industry, it seeks to ensure that scientific discovery translates into innovation, commercialization, and public policy.
From artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and semiconductors to biotechnology, climate resilience, advanced manufacturing and healthcare, research undertaken through these chairs has the potential to accelerate technological self-reliance, foster innovation, strengthen industrial competitiveness and create high-quality jobs in India. The scheme is therefore an investment in the country’s future economic and strategic capabilities.
For the Indian diaspora, participation in this initiative offers an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to one of the most consequential nation-building projects of our time. Indian-origin scholars have helped shape some of the defining innovations of the modern age across laboratories, universities, research institutes and technology companies around the world. The Prime Minister’s Research Chair Scheme creates an institutional bridge connecting this global expertise with India’s rapidly expanding research ecosystem.
It enables the diaspora to become active partners in building the scientific, technological and intellectual foundations of a developed India. A distinguishing feature of the initiative is its flexibility. It enables internationally accomplished researchers to engage with Indian institutions through sustained collaborations, mentoring programmes, joint research projects, faculty exchanges, doctoral supervision and the establishment of long-term international research partnerships.
For the Indian diaspora, these features make the scheme especially attractive. Researchers can maintain their global academic engagements while helping build India’s capacity for the next generation.
There is also a deeper, enduring dimension to this effort to realise our shared aspirations. The relationship between India and its diaspora has evolved into a consequential partnership defined by shared ambition. The Prime Minister’s Research Chair Scheme builds on this evolution, offering a platform where intellectual capital becomes the new currency of engagement between India and the world.
The diaspora has always been an integral part of India’s economic progress. This is a moment to step forward once again as co-authors of the country’s intellectual future.
Through this platform, I invite members of our diaspora to seize this opportunity to co-create knowledge ecosystems that connect the best of Indian and global talent. The diaspora’s role in this effort is indispensable, and we look forward to embarking on this journey together as we realise the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chart the path towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
