The UK-India research collaboration has grown rapidly over the last 5 years, with over £150 million invested across 84 partnerships involving UK and Indian universities and institutes. Key areas of focus have included food security, sustainable energy, water and climate, and health. Impact has included increased academic and industry collaboration, publications, and spin-off companies. Looking ahead, the Newton-Bhabha Fund will provide over £70 million for new joint projects addressing Grand Challenges like sustainable cities, energy-water-food, and public health that align with Indian government priorities.

1. UK-India research and
innovation collaboration
Dr Nafees Meah
Director, RCUK India

2. Research Councils UK are…

3. Research Councils UK motto is
‘Excellence with impact’
3 billion a year invested in research
 Creating new knowledge
 Driving innovation
 Training the next generation

4. Research Councils UK work in
partnership with India

5. UK India research and innovation
portfolio has grown rapidly in the last
5 years
84 co-funded research and innovation
partnerships investing over £150 million
 Involving 43 top UK universities and institutes, in
partnership with 31 universities and institutes in
India and 17 of its national laboratories
 Supporting 290 principal and co-investigators in
India and the UK, with many more postdoctoral
researchers and PhD students
 Engaging with more than 90 business and
industry groups at small and medium to large-
scale level in both countries

6. In the previous 5 years, the UK-India
portfolio covered 7 themes
1. Food security and agritech
2. Sustainable energy and rural
enterprise
3. Advanced manufacturing
4. Water and climate
5. Civil nuclear research
6. Smart energy, energy storage and
digital economy
7. Health, well being and social change

7. % Spend by research themes
27%
37%
6%
7%
8%
9%
6%
Food Security and Agritech
Sustainable Energy and Rural Enterprise
Advanced Manufacturing
Water and Climate
Civil Nuclear Energy
Smart Energy, Energy Storage, and Digital
Economy
Health, Well-being and Social Change

8. The UK-India research collaboration
is delivering impact
 After more than 5 years, RCUK-
India research and innovation
partnership transitioning to a
‘mature phase’
 Enhancing collaboration between
academia and industry
 >90 industry/business partners
 Published impact case studies
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/RCUK-
prod/assets/documents/india/InspiringChangeImpactHighlightsUK-
India.pdf

9. RCUK portfolio in West Bengal

10. Example collaboration:
Biomass and Concentrating Photovoltaic System for Rural and
Urban Energy Bridge
• Lead Organisations: Visva-Bharati University and Heriot-Watt
University
• Lead Funders: RCUK Digital Economy (UK) and the Department of
Science and Technology (India)
• Investment: £1.4million from the UK with matched resources from the
Department of Science and Technology

11. Example collaboration
Impact to date:
• 16 Publications to date
• Development of novel and patented 3-D static solar concentrator
technology. Increasing optical efficiency of solar cells from 15-18% up
to 40-70%
• Creation of spin out company: Solar Concentrator Ltd
• Additional research investment of over £3.2 million in the UK as a
result of this collaboration
• Active collaboration with the Fraunhofer society

12. UK-India Task Force 2014 identified
Grand Societal Challenges to focus
future UK-India collaboration
3 interdisciplinary grand societal challenges
 Sustainable Cities and Urbanisation
 Energy-Water-Food Nexus
 Public Health and Well-Being
And two underpinning capabilities
 High Value Manufacturing (HVM)
 Big Data
For each, there are agreed: Policy objectives;
Scientific objectives; Impact statements

13. Science and Innovation Council
agrees Newton-Bhabha Fund in 2014
 £50 million investment from UK over 5
years
 Matched resources from Indian
partners
 3 pillars
 UK delivery partners are:
– Research Councils UK
– Science and Innovation Network
– British Council
– Academy of Medical Sciences
– Royal Society
– Royal Academy of Engineering
– British Academy
– Innovate UK
People
Research
Programmes
Translation

14. > £70 million of new joint research and
innovation investments announced under the
Newton-Bhabha Fund
These include:
 EPSRC-DST Joint Virtual Centre on Clean Energy
 MRC-ICMR Programme on Mental Health and Substance Abuse
 MRC-DBT-DfiD Programme on Women and Child health and nutrition
 NERC-MoES Joint Centre on Water Security
 MRC-DBT Joint Centre on Cancer Biology
 MRC-DBT Joint Centres on Antimicrobial Resistance
 NERC-MoES Programme on Sustainable Water Resources for Food, Energy and
Ecosystem Services
 NERC-MRC-DBT-MoES Programme on Atmospheric Pollution and Human Health
 DBT-BBSRC-ESRC-DFID Global Research Programme on Aquaculture
 DBT-BBSRC-NERC Joint Virtual Centres in Agricultural Nitrogen
 DBT-InnovateUK-RCUK R&I Bridge in Food Processing
 GITA-Innovate UK Industrial Research and Development Programme on Clean
Tech, Affordable Healthcare, and ICT

15. Grand Challenge areas resonate
strongly with Government of
India’s priorities
 Make in India
 100 Smart Cities Mission
 Atal Mission for Rejuvenation
and Urban Transformation
(AMRUT)
 National Heritage City
Development and
Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)
 National Mission on Clean
Ganga and Ganga
Rejuvenation
 Atal Innovation Mission
 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean
and Green India)
 Digital India

16. In summary…
 The UK-India joint investments,
including the new agreed projects, is
over £200 million
 The RCUK-India research and
innovation portfolio is demonstrating
positive impact
 The new Grand Challenge areas
resonate strongly with Government of
India’s priorities
 The Grand Challenge areas are
interdisciplinary
 The programme has developed a
substantial cohort of UK and Indian
researchers and innovators who have
developed strong bonds of trust and
confidence

17. RCUK India
• For further information please:
• visit our website:
• http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/international/offices/india/
• follow us on twitter:
• @RCUK_India
• Contact us by email
• rcuk.india@rcuk.ac.uk