The second National Consultative Meeting on reforming India's Research and Development (R&D) ecosystem was held at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on June 4, 2025. Organized by NITI Aayog and chaired by Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, the meeting builds upon a previous dialogue held in May 2025, as part of a series of regional meetings to address challenges in India's R&D sector. The initiative aims to strengthen government-funded R&D institutions and promote innovation. Dignitaries including Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR; Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President, Indian National Science Academy (INSA); and Dr. Harender Singh Bisht, Director, CSIR-IIP, were in attendance. Discussions focused on institutional agility, innovation-centric governance, enhanced industry-academia collaboration, transforming government-funded R&D institutions, and evidence-based policy recommendations. Key areas of emphasis included reducing bureaucratic delays, promoting decentralized decision-making, strengthening R&D infrastructure, fostering translational research, retaining young talent, and enhancing public-private collaboration.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Science Technology: A governmental ministry involved in science and technology.
NITI Aayog: A policy think tank of the Government of India.
RD: Abbreviation for Research and Development.
CSIR Indian Institute of Petroleum CSIRIIP: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), a research institute located in Dehradun.
Dehradun: City in Uttarakhand, India, location of the CSIR Indian Institute of Petroleum.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi office.
Second National Consultative Meeting: Meeting focused on reforming India's Research and Development ecosystem.
India: The country where the Research and Development ecosystem is being reformed.
Uttarakhand: A state in India where Dehradun is located.
Dr. V.K. Saraswat: Member of NITI Aayog, Chairperson of the meeting.
Raj Bhawan, Lucknow: Location of the first consultative dialogue held in May 2025.
Dr. N. Kalaiselvi: Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR.
CSIR: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
DSIR: Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Prof. Ashutosh Sharma: President, Indian National Science Academy (INSA).
Indian National Science Academy INSA: The premier science academy in India.
Dr. Harender Singh Bisht: Director, CSIRIIP.
Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh: Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog.
NKRPSM: Likely an acronym for a program or initiative, but full name not provided in text.
Ministry of Science & Technology
NITI Aayog Advances R&D Reforms in Second
Consultative Meeting on Ease of Doing R&D at CSIR
– Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun
Posted On: 04 JUN 2025 12:04PM by PIB Delhi
The Second National Consultative Meeting on reforming India’s Research and Development (R&D)
ecosystem commenced today at the CSIR – Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Organized under the Chairpersonship of Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, the two-day meeting
builds upon the outcomes of the first consultative dialogue held in May 2025 at Raj Bhawan, Lucknow, and
marks the second installment in a series of regional meetings planned to address systemic challenges in
India’s research and development ecosystem. This ongoing initiative by NITI Aayog aims to enable a
forward-looking, innovation-driven, and resilient research ecosystem in the country, with a particular focus on
strengthening the capacities of government-funded R&D institutions and laboratories.
The Dehradun meeting was inaugurated in the presence of eminent dignitaries, including Dr. N. Kalaiselvi,
Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR; Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President, Indian National Science
Academy (INSA); Dr. Harender Singh Bisht, Director, CSIR-IIP; and other senior representatives from key
scientific ministries and departments. Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh, Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog, opened the
day’s deliberations by setting a thematic framework centered on institutional agility, innovation-centric
governance, and enhanced industry-academia collaboration.
During the inaugural session of the consultative meeting, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog,
emphasized the critical need to transform India’s government-funded R&D institutions into dynamic,
autonomous, and mission-driven ecosystems. He stressed that scientific research must be unshackled from
bureaucratic delays and rigid hierarchies and instead be empowered through decentralized decision-making,
timely funding, and performance-based accountability. Dr. Saraswat also reiterated NITI Aayog’scommitment to driving systemic reform through continuous engagement with stakeholders and evidence-
based policy recommendations. Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR & Secretary, DSIR, commended
NITI Aayog’s leadership in convening this much-needed dialogue and emphasized the importance of
collaborative governance in resolving long-standing structural issues. She highlighted the need to rejuvenate
R&D infrastructure, particularly in tier 2 and tier 3 institutions, and to strengthen industry-academia
partnerships to foster impactful translational research. Dr. Kalaiselvi also spoke about the significance of
aligning national scientific efforts with local innovation needs. Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, President, Indian
National Science Academy (INSA), drew attention to the human dimension of science, calling for greater trust
in researchers, reduced micromanagement, and the creation of flexible pathways for scientific careers. He
underscored the urgency of retaining young talent in Indian institutions through better opportunities,
th
mentorship, and global exposure. The meeting, currently underway, will continue on 4 June 2025 with
focused discussions on themes such as institutional governance, researcher mobility, translational research,
and enhancing public-private collaboration.
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NKR/PSM
(Release ID: 2133720)