What Insights Does PSA's New Report Provide on Evaluating Publicly Funded R&D Institutions?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- PSA's report aims to enhance innovation performance in public R&D.
- Six key dimensions provide a comprehensive evaluation framework.
- Collaboration with industry and academia is emphasized.
- Insights from the report will guide policy formulation.
- Focus on aligning R&D with socio-economic priorities is crucial.
New Delhi, April 29 (NationPress) The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government has unveiled its second round study report titled "Evaluation of Innovation Excellence Indicators of Public Funded R&D Organisations". This report is focused on benchmarking and improving innovation performance within India's publicly funded research landscape.
The unveiling was conducted by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser, during the 15th CII Global Innovation and IP Summit 2025 held in New Delhi.
In his address, Prof. Sood highlighted the necessity of robust evaluation mechanisms that align national R&D initiatives with socio-economic goals.
He stated, "This report acts as a strategic instrument for institutional enhancement and policy development. It embodies our shared ambition to elevate Indian science and research to a globally competitive and socially relevant status."
Moreover, he pointed out that the report transcends mere diagnostics, serving as a roadmap to fortifying India's innovation abilities through data-driven insights and strategic benchmarking.
The evaluation framework analyzed six pivotal dimensions: research output and quality, technology transfer and commercialization, collaborations and industry engagement, intellectual property generation, societal and policy impact, and human resource development and capacity building. These indicators aim to provide a comprehensive perspective on innovation performance across various institutions.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Economic Research (CTIER) acted as knowledge partners for this study, lending their expertise to enhance the assessment framework.
The launch event also saw participation from Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of PSA, Dr. Udayant Malhoutra, Chairman of the CII National Committee on Design Innovation, as well as senior industry leaders, researchers, and representatives from both academia and industry.
In the aftermath of the report launch, the Summit included a session addressing the vital role of nurturing R&D partnerships to cultivate effective co-innovation ecosystems for technological advancement.
A panel of specialists, featuring Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant (Director, IIT Roorkee), Dr. Vibha Malhotra Sawhney (Scientist H, CSIR Headquarters), and Dr. Nagahanumaiah (Director, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute), discussed strategies and models for successful collaborations among research organizations, academia, government, and industry. The panel was moderated by Dr. Hafsa Ahmad (Scientist D, Office of PSA).