- Saturday, March 01, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
The UK and India were on Wednesday (26) set to ink a landmark agreement to collaborate on science and innovation, following a meeting between George Freeman, the UK’s minister of state for science, innovation and technology, and Jiitendra Singh, India’s minister of state for science and technology.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on research between the two nations will be signed in the parliament, enabling quicker, deeper collaboration on science between the two science powerhouses that will drive economic growth, create skilled jobs and improve lives in the UK, India and worldwide, a press release from the UK’s department of business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) said on Wednesday.
Singh on Tuesday (25) left for the UK on a six-day visit as the head of a high-level Indian delegation and is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with ministers in the UK and members of the Indian diaspora, startups and academics, the Indian government said.
“The visit assumes significance as it is happening for the first time after the new Government headed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took over in the United Kingdom,” a government press release said.
The agreement on research will remove red tape hindering major collaborations, while unleashing a raft of new joint research schemes aiming to deliver progress on some of the biggest challenges the world is facing — from climate change and preparedness for pandemic through to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
Plans include establishment of a new UK-India Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre focusing on industrial decarbonisation and launching the first ever UK-India scientific deep sea voyage.
“India is rapidly building on its phenomenal software and innovation sectors to become a global powerhouse in science and technology,” Freeman said, adding, “With our extensive trading and cultural links, shared democratic values and interest in urgent global issues from green technology and agri-tech to biosecurity and pandemic preparedness, we have very strong platforms for deepening research collaboration.
“Today’s agreement is part of our program of deepening UK collaboration with other global science superpowers on ground-breaking innovation and research, to help tackle shared global challenges. This partnership will grow the sectors, companies and jobs of tomorrow for the benefit of both our countries and the globe.”
The agreement of Wednesday also sees India named as a partner for the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund, carrying forward the UK-India science partnership built through the Newton-Bhabha fund. The renewed partnership will kick off with two new joint UK-India research programmes:
The UK is determined to work with partners across the globe in delivering world class science and research. Other recent announcements include the launch of the International Science Partnerships Fund in Japan, an MoU on science with Switzerland, and agreements on closer collaboration on agri-tech with South Africa, the BEIS press release added.
