The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. @AjaySoodIISc, chaired the Fourth All S&T Clusters’ Meet at Panjab University, Chandigarh, on 9 October 2026. The Meet was hosted by the PU-IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations Foundation (PI-RAHI). He was joined by Dr (Mrs) Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary and Dr Vishal Choudhary, Scientist 'F', Office of the PSA. Prof. Sood highlighted the progress of the S&T Cluster initiative, with six of eight Clusters advancing to Phase 2.0 and evolving into “National Technology Accelerators” to address industrial and societal needs. He also noted international collaborations with India-Australia Smart Farm Network and the UK Catapult Network, and urged all eight Clusters to adopt gamification of STEM subjects, inspired by the Pune City S&T Cluster’s Gamification of Chemistry initiative. Dr. Maini in her opening remarks, highlighted the sustained growth of S&T Clusters and showcased solutions emerging from inter-Cluster collaboration, including D-PoC, SynPharma, Kalaanubhav.in, E-Yantram and i-Passport. She emphasised building a connected national Cluster network through linkages with RuTAG, RSVCs, I-STEM and DPIIT initiatives. Appreciating BCKIC’s work on marine litter, she stressed aligning Cluster activities with Swachhata and environmental sustainability. She urged participants to explore opportunities to “Replicate, Scale and Collaborate” to strengthen industry and international partnerships. The two-day Meet featured the launch of an Automatic Weather Station, EV charging and battery-swapping stations, the Phycotree Report and Kalaanubhav portal, alongside showcases of SPARKS 2.0, IGNITE 2.0, GINI 2.0 and STI Ecosystem Reports. Key highlights included an MoU signing, the UK Catapults–S&T Clusters collaboration announcement, a traditional crafts exhibition, stakeholder consultations and deliberations by all eight Clusters. On the second day, Prof. Sood inaugurated a Digital Podiatric Clinic at Panjab University Health Centre and announced the 2nd International Conference on S&T Clusters, advancing technology deployment, partnerships and indigenous innovation. Read the full PIB here: pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.… @BeSTCluster | @driiv_delhi | @jckic_jodhpur | @PI_RAHI | @BCKIC | @RICH_Hyd | @ClusterPune | @AP_MedTechZone

The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India launched the “Science and Technology (S&T) Clusters Annual Report 2025–26” under the chairmanship of Prof. @AjaySoodIISc, Principal Scientific Adviser during a meeting held on 13 August 2026. The launch was also attended by Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary; @DrVishalChoudh3, Scientist-F; Dr Santhosh Nair, Scientist-D; and Dr Shefali Uttam, Technical Staff, Office of the PSA, along with the CEOs, COOs, and Principal Investigators of the eight S&T Clusters established under the Office of the PSA. During the launch, Prof. Sood emphasised stronger inter-Cluster collaboration, industry engagement and technology translation, with a focus on adapting and scaling successful regional solutions and measuring outcomes through higher TRLs, real-world validation, commercialisation, and societal and economic impact. Dr Maini highlighted the growing maturity of the S&T Clusters through a consortium-based model and emphasised the need to prioritise the national interest while strengthening industry participation in technology validation and translation. The Report highlights the evolving role of the S&T Clusters as regional innovation ecosystems and “National Technology Accelerators”. It showcases initiatives that have progressed from the ideation stage to field deployment and commercialisation, including E-Yantram, AI-enabled Digital Podiatry Clinics, AI-enabled agriculture and weather intelligence, indigenous pacemaker components, patient-specific 3D-printed implants, ChemAmaze and One Health initiatives, alongside national platforms such as Kalaanubhav.in and i-Passport. The Report highlights how inter-Cluster collaboration is enabling successful solutions to be replicated and scaled, alongside growing international partnerships in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, smart agriculture, sustainable mobility, climate resilience and emerging technologies. These include collaborations with the University of Western Australia, the India–Australia Smart Farm Network and the UK Catapult Network, strengthening the Clusters’ global engagement and impact. The Report can be accessed through: psa.gov.in/CMS/web/sites/def… Read the full press release here: pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.… @DrNamrataMisra, @BCKIC | @priya_nagaraj1, @ClusterPune | @BeSTCluster | @driiv_delhi | @jckic_jodhpur | @PI_RAHI | @RICH_Hyd | @AP_MedTechZone