India Strengthens Cyber-Physical Technology Ecosystem Through 25 Innovation Hubs
National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems focuses on AI, robotics, cybersecurity, healthcare, agriculture and autonomous technologies
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
New Delhi, August 31, 2026: India is expanding its capabilities in advanced cyber-physical technologies through the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), with a strong emphasis on transforming scientific research into practical technologies, innovative products and solutions for industry and society.
Implemented by the Department of Science and Technology, the mission has an approved financial outlay of ₹3,660 crore. Its technological scope includes Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, data analytics, robotics, autonomous systems, cybersecurity and quantum technologies.
25 Technology Innovation Hubs Across India
A network of 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) has been established at leading academic and research institutions under the mission.
These hubs bring together researchers, academic institutions, startups, industry and other stakeholders to develop technologies and accelerate their transition from research laboratories to real-world applications.
During 2025–26, four high-performing TIHs were upgraded into Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRPs) at IIT Kanpur, IISc Bengaluru, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and IIT Indore.
The parks are focused on areas including cybersecurity, robotics and artificial intelligence, mining technologies and digital healthcare.
Over 1,100 Technologies and 1,300 Products
The NM-ICPS ecosystem has contributed to the development of more than 1,100 technologies and around 1,300 technology products.
The programme has also supported the incubation of more than 1,130 startups, strengthening the connection between scientific research, entrepreneurship and technology commercialisation.
The growing emphasis is on translational research—taking promising ideas and innovations beyond the laboratory and developing them into usable and scalable solutions.
Indigenous Technologies for Strategic Sectors
The programme is supporting technological solutions across several critical sectors.
Among the developments is a 5G-Advanced ORAN Massive MIMO 32TR Radio Unit, aimed at providing reliable and cost-effective connectivity, particularly in remote and underserved regions.
In the mining sector, Smart Mining and Edge-AI Monitoring Solutions are being developed to improve operational efficiency and safety. The technology also supports long-range drone connectivity for monitoring remote mining areas.
AI- and IoT-based agricultural monitoring and advisory systems are being developed to enable data-driven decision-making and improve agricultural productivity.
BharatGen Advances Indigenous Generative AI
The NM-ICPS ecosystem has also contributed to the development of BharatGen, a generative artificial intelligence initiative led by IIT Bombay in collaboration with academic institutions.
The programme seeks to develop AI foundation models suited to India’s diverse languages and specific requirements.
Its technology portfolio includes Param-2, a multilingual foundation model designed for all 22 Scheduled Indian languages. Other components include Shrutam, a speech-to-text system, Sooktam, a text-to-speech model, and Patram, a framework designed to enable conversational access to complex Indian documents.
The initiative represents an effort to strengthen India’s indigenous capabilities in generative AI and develop applications that are relevant to the country’s linguistic and technological environment.
Five Major Technology Verticals
The mission has organised its activities around five major technology areas:
- Healthcare — IIT Indore
- Agriculture & Water Technologies — IIT Bombay
- Mining — IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
- Cybersecurity — IIT Kanpur
- Mobility & Autonomous Systems — IISc Bengaluru
The focused approach is intended to strengthen research, technology development, industry collaboration and eventual commercial deployment.
Greater Focus on Technology Translation
A major objective of the programme is to establish stronger partnerships among academic institutions, research organisations, startups, industry and government.
The Technology Translation Research Parks are expected to help move promising innovations towards commercialisation and wider industrial adoption.
Additional support for translational research at IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad and IIT Bombay is also aimed at strengthening the journey from laboratory research to practical applications.
Potential applications span healthcare, smart manufacturing, agriculture, mining, transportation, cybersecurity, mobility and smart infrastructure.
Building India’s Indigenous Technology Capacity
The expanding NM-ICPS ecosystem reflects India’s broader effort to develop advanced technologies domestically while creating stronger links between scientific research and economic and social applications.
With research infrastructure, skilled professionals, startups, industry partnerships and technology translation working together, the initiative is creating a broader ecosystem for innovation in cyber-physical systems.
The continued development of indigenous capabilities in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, digital healthcare, agriculture, mining and autonomous technologies could play an important role in addressing India’s emerging technological challenges and strengthening its position in advanced technology.
By Suman Munshi
Chief Editor | IBG NEWS
