Themes/ Thrust areas

Critical minerals/metals including rare earth elements (REE) are the main building blocks on which many advanced materials useful for clean planet or climate control technologies are evolving. The future global economy will be underpinned by technologies that depend on minerals such as lithium, graphite, nickel, Manganese, Vanadium, Niobium, cobalt, titanium and rare earth elements. Hence, it has become imperative to identify and develop value chains and reliable supply chains. 

Climate change is the defining challenge of the 21st century since it has the potential to upend economies and societies due to its significant and myriad impacts on every part of the planet. Reducing the climate and other environmental impacts (such as from mining) from the energy sector are key to long-term sustainability while maintaining human well-being and economic activities from the continued provision of energy services. A wide range of technologies (and materials) play a key role on enabling different dimension of this clean energy transition.

Agriculture is the fundamental value for human survival. Better agricultural biodiversity can contribute to more nutritious diets, and more climate resilient & sustainable farming. Agriculture sector has been successful at the cost of degradation of natural resources and adverse impact on the environment. The time has come to exploit all modern tools available by bringing information technology and agriculture science together for improved economic and environmentally sustainable crop production.

The present digital era that intricately networked the globe happened primarily due to the innovations in the semiconductor manufacturing and design space. Automation has become the back bone of many of the process and there is a huge dependency on Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) popularly referred as Chips. Chip manufacturing encompasses chip fabrication and packaging aspects. The government is giving the semiconductor industry the right boost at the right moment with a 76000 crore investment and other supportive initiatives.

The advent of computing has changed the face of virtually every field of technology, vocation, and indeed pervaded our daily lives. The digital world offers new and powerful means to model the physical world, to make predictions and decisions that can eventually benefit people and real-world systems. Computing is a core area for the technological development and self-sufficiency. The focus is on three specific sub-areas: Supercomputing (SC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Quantum Computing (QC). SC, AI, and QC must not be viewed as exclusive technologies but their combination often delivers the strongest results.

“Healthcare for all” is the ambitious goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for this century. The advances in healthcare technologies over the past few decades have created many novel solutions for diagnostics and therapeutics, however there is still a huge disparity in equitable distribution. More emphasis should be given on focused research and innovation to invent affordable and accessible solutions which can be made available to all. The vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 stands on a foundation of sturdy and robust healthcare ecosystem co-existing with state-of-art med-tech facilities. Design, development and integration of such modern technologies with the advancements of the Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Deep learning methodologies are envisioned to provide a robust and diverse healthcare ecosystem at the different levels.

The space and defence industries play a crucial role in supporting economic growth, technical advancement, and national security. The convergence of these sectors facilitates economic growth and innovation and fortifying national security. Recognizing the paramount importance of these sectors, it becomes imperative to discern and address critical gaps through proactive research initiatives and collaborative endeavours. This imperative is underscored by the necessity to propel the continuous growth and success of the space and defence industry. Beyond technological innovation, this industry catalyzes job creation and cultivates a highly skilled workforce, further enhancing its multifaceted impact.

In last few years, the way we connect and access information has changed dramatically with the introduction of 5G and other next-gen communication technologies. These developments have the power to revolutionize a variety of sectors, including healthcare and transportation, opening the door to previously unthinkable creative solutions. Currently researchers are investigating the use of innovative materials in next-gen communication technologies in an effort to lower power consumption and increase network efficiency. Additionally, the incorporation of AI and machine learning technologies into next-gen communications will make it possible for communication systems to be more intelligent and autonomous, which will increase the potential for innovation. This area offers unprecedented levels of connection and communication, and as it develops, it has the potential to completely change the way we work, live, and interact with each other. 

Disaster management is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society. The Disaster can be natural, environmental emergencies, pandemic emergencies etc and depending of the type of disasters involve widespread human, material, economic, environmental or security impacts. Resilience is the ability of an entity—e.g., asset, organization, community, region—to anticipate, resist, absorb, respond to, adapt to, and recover from a disturbance from either natural or man-made events. Analyses of the resilience of infrastructure should be taken from an integrated systems perspective of the infrastructure and the community and region being supported. A synergetic and symbiotic relation between the three major stakeholder groups (namely governments, industries and academia) is required to secure large infrastructure projects, and make them sustainable.

The entire world is embracing the Blue Economy due to the expanse of the ocean, which has enormous possibilities for sustainable economic development. By encouraging innovation and responsible growth in the ocean-related industries, this revolutionary strategy seeks to strike a balance between resource usage and conservation. Aquaculture and fisheries, deep sea minerals, shipping, offshore and coastal energy, maritime trade, deep sea mining, and marine-related technologies are some of the sectors of the blue economy that contribute value. World-over different national and global initiatives are being undertaken to harness the Blue Economy. Globally, we should work on policy frameworks, sector-specific strategies, international partnerships, and the technologies essential for harnessing the ocean's economic potential while ensuring its health and regeneration.

Smart city concept has been promoted globally to deal with the multi-dimensional challenges of urbanization like meeting water, housing, electricity, mobility, air pollution etc. The demand for clean drinking water, electricity, and infrastructure for safe mobility will grow in future to meet the demand of people living in urban area by 2036. Urban mobility and transport infrastructure has always been an important aspect of urbanization process. Understanding the complex linkages of urban mobility with affordable access to employment opportunities, local and global environment degradation, and adverse health impact on all citizens requires collaborative and sustained efforts of stakeholders. New technologies and innovative methods are required to address the urban mobility challenges and its linkages with other negative externalities. Investing in smart cities and mobility infrastructure stimulates economic growth, creates employment opportunities, and fosters innovation in the technology. 

Manufacturing is a critical sector for Economic growth and development of the country. Industry 4.0, with its focus on smart technologies and automation, can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency, leading to higher GDP growth rates and the creation of high-quality jobs. Advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies offer opportunities for more sustainable production processes, reducing waste and energy consumption. It also enable manufacturers to improve product quality and operational efficiency through real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and automated decision-making processes. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and lower production costs. International collaborations can lead to advanced knowledge, technologies, and strategies in Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, fostering a conducive ecosystem for innovation and development.