“The PMRC scheme can certainly help India attract high-quality research talent… but the bigger bottleneck is not talent alone; it is the absence of sufficiently mature research-to-industry ecosystems,” said Shantanu Rooj, founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech. He pointed to India’s R&D spending, which remains constrained at around 0.6-0.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), and said industry integration would be key for meaningful impact.
S Bharadhwaj, professor at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, was of the view that the scheme’s design appropriately prioritises fundamental research, with publications and citations as the primary benchmark. “Publications and citations must, therefore, remain the primary measure of its success,” he said, adding that patents could emerge as a secondary outcome in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology.
However, he cautioned against overemphasis on near-term commercialisation. “Startups and industry partnerships may follow in time, but expecting them at this stage would be premature. The scheme should be allowed to build its research base first,” he said.
Rooj added that for Indian companies to benefit meaningfully, the PM Research Chairs must be embedded into ecosystems that include applied labs, industry consortia, problem statements, IP support, prototyping capital and faster technology-transfer pathways.
On institutional readiness, Bharadhwaj said premier institutions were well-positioned to host global researchers, but wider participation would take time. “One significant barrier is the practical reality of relocation,” he said. “If the engagement duration runs to three to five years, many researchers may find it difficult to commit, given family and personal ties in the countries where they are currently based. A shorter engagement window of up to a year would likely see stronger uptake.”
The PMRC Scheme 2026, approved by the Union Cabinet, is an initiative to bring Indian-origin researchers, scientists and professionals working abroad into India’s higher education and R&D system. Eligible candidates can submit their applications online through the official portal till July 15. The scheme targets researchers working in priority areas such as AI, semiconductors, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, biotechnology, healthcare, advanced materials, space and defence, and advanced manufacturing.
Under the framework, selected candidates will be appointed as Research Chairs or fellows in Indian institutions, including universities and national laboratories that meet eligibility criteria based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) criterion. Seven institutions — Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Hyderabad, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru — will act as lead institutions.
K Murali, dean (Faculty), IIT Madras, said the scheme would help integrate global Indian-origin researchers into India’s R&D ecosystem. “The PMRC Fellows will be hosted by premier institutions in India, including R&D labs, IITs, and other organisations,” he said, adding that it could help create “a new culture of result-based R&D” and support self-reliance in key technologies.
Rooj said the scheme’s impact would depend on whether it creates institutional spillovers. “A limited number of high-profile researchers can have meaningful impact, but only if they act as ecosystem builders rather than isolated academic stars,” he said. He added that success should be assessed beyond talent attraction. “Five years from now, the scheme should be judged by whether it has created commercially relevant research capacity… including technology transfers, industry-funded research, licensed patents, startups created and prototypes deployed,” he said.
The scheme comes in the backdrop of repeated concerns raised by the Ministry of Education and senior government officials, including Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, over India’s relatively low research intensity and the continued migration of top scientific talent abroad. Officials have noted that a significant share of high-end intellectual property and frontier innovation by Indian-origin researchers is generated in overseas institutions rather than within India, limiting domestic gains from Indian talent.
Umesh Kothari, assistant dean, SP Jain School of Global Management, said the scheme marks a structural shift in India’s engagement with global academia. Institutional capability, he said, has improved but added that “administrative agility and operational flexibility will remain critical” for sustained participation.
“The success of the initiative,” he said, “should be evaluated through a balanced lens that considers both academic excellence through high-quality research output and citations, as well as tangible innovation outcomes such as patents, industry partnerships, and startup creation.”
 "R&D, Research and development")