India strengthens scientific partnership with Switzerland

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Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the India-Swiss Research Framework (ISRF) will give new impetus to the long-standing India-Switzerland science, technology and innovation partnership and provide a structured platform to take bilateral cooperation into new and emerging areas.

Addressing the inaugural India-Swiss Research Flagship Event 2026 in New Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the event is an occasion not only to celebrate two decades of healthy and growing cooperation, but also to chart the way forward by diversifying the partnership in emerging areas of science, technology and innovation and creating more opportunities for researchers and innovators in both countries.

As part of this forward-looking agenda, Dr Jitendra Singh welcomed new initiatives including "Explore," which aims to build new research networks with a view to developing larger consortia, and the Academia-Industry Training (AIT) programme for science-based innovators.

The programme presentation also showcased the upcoming Explore programme, scheduled to open in November 2026 as a co-funded SNSF-DST initiative, with a duration of 9-12 months and support for travel, networking, and small equipment to help develop new ideas in basic science into larger research opportunities.

Dr Singh also welcomed the Letter of Intent between DST and Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Implementation Arrangement between DST and Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). The LoI will support exploratory scientific collaboration, future joint research, and long-term collaboration in mutually agreed priority areas, while the Implementation Arrangement will advance collaboration in innovation, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship through the Indo-Swiss Academia-Industry Training (AIT India) programme.