The Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and the Embassy of Switzerland co-hosts GESDA-Anticipatory Leadership Lab in New Delhi.

**Executive Summary** The Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland and GESDA, hosted an "Anticipatory Leadership Lab" in New Delhi on March 6, 2026. This event brought together 60 leaders to foster dialogue on anticipating and governing emerging scientific and technological breakthroughs. The deliberations focused on key research areas and their transformative potential over the next 5, 10, and 25 years. **Key Points / Main Content** * **Event Details:** * An "Anticipatory Leadership Lab" was jointly hosted by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, the Embassy of Switzerland in India, and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA). * The event took place in New Delhi on March 6, 2026. * **Participants:** * The lab convened approximately 60 leaders from academia, government, diplomatic missions, deeptech startups, business entities, and civil society organizations. * Key institutional leaders from India and Switzerland, including Prof Ajay Sood (Principal Scientific Adviser, India), Ambassador Alexandar Fasel (Switzerland's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs), Dr. Parvinder Maini (Scientific Secretary), Maya Tissafi (Ambassador of Switzerland to India), and Prof. Marilyne Andersen (Director General of GESDA), facilitated the event. * **Objectives and Framework:** * The event was built on GESDA's Science Breakthrough Radar® and the anticipatory science diplomacy framework. * The primary goal was to strengthen collective capacity to anticipate and govern emerging scientific and technological breakthroughs through structured, multistakeholder dialogue. * **Focus Areas of Deliberation:** * Discussions centered on research advances in Quantum Computing, Artificial General Intelligence (AI), Synthetic Biology, and Neurotechnology. * The potential of these technologies to transform society and the planet over the next 5, 10, and 25 years was examined. * **Importance of Anticipatory Science Diplomacy:** * The conventional reactive governance mechanism is no longer adequate for the pace of change driven by disruptive frontiers. * Governance choices in the next five to ten years are critical for determining how these technologies serve humanity. * Anticipating and understanding scientific breakthroughs is a diplomatic necessity, as science and technology are core currencies in international affairs. * Anticipatory science diplomacy enables harnessing scientific breakthroughs for humanity's benefit before they exacerbate global fractures and inequalities. * It grounds decision-making in rigorous science, allowing for open conversation and careful consideration of implications from various stakeholders. * **Outcomes and Principles:** * Participants engaged in forward-looking brainstorming to examine how emerging and frontier technologies could shape India and the global landscape. * Deliberations identified key opportunities and risks for public policy, diplomacy, and industry, and suggested pathways for sustained engagement and cooperation. * The principle that governance frameworks for disruptive technologies must be informed by 'science anticipation' was anchored. * Systematically identifying potential technological breakthroughs and their implications early on can create space for collaboration and collective risk assessment, preventing dominance by competitive dynamics or crisis-driven responses. **Impact Analysis** * **Academia** * **Impact:** Increased opportunities for research collaboration and a framework for understanding the societal implications of their work. Enhanced focus on anticipatory approaches in scientific development. * **Action Required:** Engage in dialogues and leverage the anticipatory science diplomacy framework to guide future research and development. * **Government** * **Impact:** Better informed policy and diplomatic strategies related to emerging technologies. Improved capacity to govern disruptive technologies and harness their potential for national and global benefit. * **Action Required:** Integrate the principle of 'science anticipation' into governance frameworks for disruptive technologies and foster international cooperation based on shared visions. * **Diplomatic Missions** * **Impact:** Strengthened understanding of science and technology as a diplomatic necessity and a core currency in international affairs. Enhanced capacity for anticipatory science diplomacy. * **Action Required:** Prioritize anticipatory science diplomacy in foreign policy and collaborate with global innovation leaders to address the implications of scientific breakthroughs. * **Deeptech Startups and Business Entities** * **Impact:** Insights into potential opportunities and risks associated with frontier technologies, aiding in strategic planning and investment. A clearer understanding of the future technology landscape and regulatory considerations. * **Action Required:** Align business strategies with emerging technological trends and consider the implications of scientific breakthroughs on their operations and markets. * **Civil Society Organisations** * **Impact:** Greater awareness of the societal implications of emerging technologies and a voice in shaping their governance. Ability to advocate for equitable distribution of benefits and mitigation of risks. * **Action Required:** Participate in multistakeholder dialogues to ensure diverse perspectives are accounted for in the governance of technological advancements.

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