India is rapidly accelerating its progress in the science and technology sector, with several key initiatives and events highlighting a strong focus on indigenous development, innovation, and digital transformation. These developments, primarily from December 8, 2025, showcase the nation's ambition to become a global leader in advanced technological domains.
BharatGen AI System Initiative Launched
In a significant move towards building a sovereign Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem, India has launched the BharatGen Technology Foundation at IIT Bombay. This initiative aims to develop a Large Language Model specifically tailored for India's diverse multilingual and multicultural environment. The goal is to create an indigenous AI model capable of understanding and generating content across more than 22 Indian languages in both text and speech. The BharatGen Foundation, registered on November 7, 2025, at IIT Bombay's Powai campus, signifies an expansion of IIT Bombay's role into national-scale AI development. The project is supported by substantial funding, including ā¹235 crore from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and ā¹1,058 crore from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
11th India International Science Festival Underway
The 11th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 is currently being held in Panchkula, Haryana, from December 6 to 9. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, addressed the festival, highlighting India's transition from a traditional economy to an innovation-driven one. He emphasized that India is increasingly shaping global technology trends and stressed the crucial role of startups in driving future growth. Dr. Singh also underscored the importance of mentorship, early guidance, and a stronger culture of risk-taking in research and development. The government's new national R&D fund was mentioned as a major step to support high-risk, high-impact deep-tech innovation, particularly in strategic sectors like space and nuclear energy. The theme of IISF 2025 is "Vigyan Se Samruddhi: for Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Prosperity through Science: for a Self-Reliant India), focusing on scientific exchange, innovation, and public engagement.
Gujarat Unveils New Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
The Gujarat government is set to introduce a new Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Policy for 2025ā30, aiming to establish the state as a hub for frontier technologies. This policy is designed to strengthen indigenous capabilities across critical sectors and reduce dependence on imported technologies, aligning with the 'atmanirbharata' (self-reliance) vision. The draft policy proposes a ā¹500 crore innovation fund to support researchers, startups, academic institutions, and industry-led R&D, along with an additional ā¹1,500 crore corpus for achieving the state's long-term developmental goals under 'Viksit Gujarat@2047'. Key areas of focus include Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, blockchain, IoT, 5Gā6G connectivity, cybersecurity, biotechnology, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and clean energy.
Smart India Hackathon 2025 Grand Finale Hosted by IIT Kharagpur
IIT Kharagpur is hosting the grand finale of the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 - Hardware Edition from December 8-12. Organized by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC) and the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), SIH has grown into the world's largest open innovation platform, empowering students to address real-world challenges. This year's edition saw record participation with 72,165 idea submissions and 68,766 student teams.
Advancements in Biotechnology and Digital India
Dr. Jitendra Singh also addressed the BioSpectrum Excellence Awards 2025, celebrating a decade of significant advancements in India's biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare innovation, and research infrastructure. He highlighted India's aspiration to achieve a $300-billion bio-economy. Simultaneously, the Digital India program continues its expansion, with initiatives like Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and BharatNet making substantial progress. An expansion plan with an outlay of ā¹14,903 crore (US$ 1.9 billion) has been approved to further digitize the Indian economy, including plans for a Centre of Excellence in AI for education with a ā¹500 crore outlay. India is also preparing to host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, showcasing its AI capabilities, with the IndiaAI Mission having an allocation of ā¹10,300+ crore over five years.