Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India

The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, joined past Presidents of INSA and other members of the Academy for the inaugural session of the “Celebration of Science Week at Delhi - 2025” and the “91st Anniversary General Meeting (AGM) of Indian National Science Academy - INSA” on 3rd December 2025 in New Delhi. The book titled “The Scientific Enterprise in India: Past Achievements, Current Trends and Challenges in a Changing Socio-Techno-Economic Ecosystem” was also released during the session. The PSA also gave a lecture on “Strengthening Science-Policy Interface: Charting India’s S&T-led Transformation”. The lecture charted India’s evolution of the science-policy interface in the country from the Advisory Committee for Coordinating Scientific Research (ACCSR) in 1948 to OPSA in 1999, and its instruments of intervention, such as PM-STIAC and ETG. Prof. Sood highlighted the role of Science Advice through OPSA and its synergistic approach in advancing the science-policy interface for: → Democratisation - Access to Scholarly Knowledge, Scientific Infrastructure, and Scientific Funding → Ecosystem facilitation - Through initiatives like Manthan, S&T Clusters and RuTAG → Prioritisation through National Missions as NQM, IndiaAI, National Green Hydrogen Mission and One Health → Strengthening Global Partnerships through platforms like G20 CSAR, India-EU TTC and QUAD CoE-QIS. → Charting the Vision for an S&T-Driven Future India DST | Ashutosh Sharma | Dr Brajesh Pandey (Executive Director, INSA) | Dakshata Lingayat #INSAAGM2025 #scienceweek2025

The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, delivered a Presidential Address during the launch of India DST's 'R&D Roadmap to Enable India's Net Zero Goals through Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS)' on 2nd December 2025. Prof. Sood underscored the need for India to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors through a innovation-driven CCUS ecosystem, anchored in the COP 26 Panchamrit framework. He emphasised that strategic deployment of pilot projects and CO₂ infrastructure will be decisive in aligning industrial growth with India’s Net Zero trajectory. The Roadmap can be accessed at: https://lnkd.in/gfFRgkQ5 Abhay Karandikar

H.E. Anne Bouverot, the Special Envoy of the President of the French Republic for Artificial Intelligence called on Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, and Scientific Secretary, Dr (Mrs.) Parvinder Maini today to discuss the India-France cooperation and synergy for the upcoming New Delhi AI Impact Summit scheduled on 19-20 February 2026. The discussion focused on identified common AI policy priorities including that of (a) sustainable AI, (b) Inclusive AI and (c) knowledge exchange among the national AI safety institutes. PSA Prof Sood discussed about the recently launched India AI Governance guidelines. Access the India AI Governance Framework on https://lnkd.in/gUp_QcHi The deliberations also touched upon the forthcoming India–France Year of Innovation 2026, announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in January 2024. The India-France Year of Innovation 2026 aims to celebrate the long-standing technology and innovation partnership between two countries and aspires build further momentum through various long term scientific initiatives. Dr. Preeti Banzal | B. Chagun Basha | Animesh Jain | Shakun Shan | French Embassy in India / Ambassade de France en Inde | Consulate General of France in Bangalore

The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, joined External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar; Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development, Dr. Samir Kamat; representatives and experts from 80+ countries for the inaugural session of the international conference on '50 Years of BWC: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South' on 1st December 2025 in New Delhi. During his keynote address, Prof. Sood reaffirmed India’s commitment to peace, disarmament, and the prevention of biological weapons. He noted that the Global South faced disproportionate biosecurity risks and that the Convention had to evolve post-COVID-19 amidst advances in synthetic biology, AI-enabled design, and low-cost labs. Prof. Sood highlighted India’s prioritisation of One Health through its integrated National One Health Mission, expanding surveillance systems, establishing a National Joint Outbreak Response Team, and placing ‘One Health’ at the centre of global scientific cooperation during the Chief Science Advisers Roundtable (CSAR) under India’s G20 Presidency. Underscoring the role of human capital in biosecurity, Prof. Sood shared that India is investing in multi-sectoral training programs, along with upskilling frontline workers. He called for a future focused on integrating #OneHealth into global biosecurity governance, building a transparent and trusted ecosystem of shared capacities. The PSA stressed that biosecurity is indivisible and requires resilience across nations with a steadfast commitment to the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Prof. Sood also visited the exposition at the conference. DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India | Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) | Sangeeta Agarwal | Hafsa Ahmad

The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood outlines the India AI Governance Guidelines 2025 on SANSAD TV’s AI Explained: AI for Viksit Bharat. Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g63qhx6N IndiaAI | Digital India Programme

H.E. Mr. Jan Thesleff, Ambassador of Sweden In India, called on the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, to discuss about current bilateral initiatives between the two countries. India and Sweden have a strong and growing science and technology partnership, especially in the advancement of the cement and steel sectors. The delegation presented the innovation landscape of Sweden and the significant contributions of its private sector in R&D. The deliberations also focused on future opportunities in the areas of National Quantum Mission, India AI Mission and Smart Cities to bring the Indian-Swedish academic and innovation communities together. In addition, structured S&T collaboration for mega projects, as well as joint engagement possibilities between ANRF and its Swedish counterparts, were also explored. The Swedish delegation included Ms. Cecilia Tall, Counsellor and Ms. Geeny George Shaju, Senior Adviser, from the OSI New Delhi - Office of Science and Innovation. From OPSA, Dr. Preeti Banzal, Adviser/Scientist 'G'; Dr. Divya Vashisht, PhD, OSD; and Sh. Rohit Gupta, CTO also joined the meeting.

𝐒&𝐓 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇 & 𝐁𝐞𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 '𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞' Agriculture faces a dual challenge – feed a growing population whilst adapting to rapid urbanisation and climate change. To address such complexities, a shift from traditional methods to resource efficient precision-driven solutions are becoming an imperative. The S&T Clusters initiative under OPSA are enabling such transitions by fostering deep collaborations between academia, industry, startups, and state governments. This spotlight on the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) Cluster and the BeST - Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster showcases their contributions in modernising regional agriculture. RICH is driving smart farming in Telangana by deploying startup-led innovations under the National e-Governance Plan for Agriculture, in collaboration with the state government. While BeST is addressing Bengaluru’s urban and peri-urban agricultural needs with precision solutions like micro-climate polyhouses, and deployment of pheromone-based insecticide in collaboration with academia, industry and state government. Together, these S&T Clusters are bridging the gap between scientific breakthrough and field-level impact, building confidence in approaches that will lead to food-secure, resource-efficient, and sustainable agriculture. Explore the S&T Clusters initiative and learn more about the 8 clusters at: https://lnkd.in/emeGxkX #ISTCC2025 #SandTClusters Dr (Mrs.) Parvinder Maini | Dr.Vishal Choudhary | Vivek Kumar | Shefali Uttam | Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Limited | Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Cluster Foundation | DRIIV: Delhi Research Implementation and Innovation | Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation | PI-RAHI: Northern Region S&T Cluster | Pune Knowledge Cluster