Soon, framework to assess at what stage research is

Mumbai: To boost Indian innovation and give it a leg-up beyond the proof-of-concept stage, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser has decided to standardise Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), creating a common framework for stakeholders to assess the stage at which an experiment lies.

The move is expected to have implications beyond laboratories. For funding agencies, TRL standardisation provides a way to distinguish between early-stage research and technologies ready for investment, reducing the risk of bankrolling projects that are not yet mature.

Academics point to inconsistencies in how readiness is currently understood, particularly around mid-stage levels at 4 and 5, as also along different verticals. "TRL 5 for a healthcare innovation needed a different set of criteria like clinical trials as compared to an engineering prototype," said a senior professor.

Principal scientific advisor (PSA) Ajay Sood, said: "For too long, a significant number of promising Indian innovations have struggled to cross the proverbial "valley of death", the arduous journey from a laboratory proof-of-concept to a scalable, market-ready product." He added, "A primary contributor to this challenge has been the lack of a unified language to articulate technological maturity. When academia, industry, and funding bodies speak different dialects regarding "readiness", it leads to misaligned expectations, stalled transfers, and inefficient resource allocation."

The National Technology Readiness Assessment Framework introduces a structured approach, requiring technologies to pass through defined stages before deployment. "National Technology Readiness Assessment Framework developed by office of PSA is an important framework to assess technology readiness of a particular technology though self-assessment by any entity," said Prof. Abhay Karandikar, secretary of the department of science and technology.

"This is especially important in the context of the Rs 1 lakh crore RDI fund where it has been envisaged to finance projects of TRL 4 level onwards. The framework will also be helpful for other R&D schemes for assessing the output of a project," he added.

The framework adopts a nine-level scale with detailed questionnaires, from early-stage research to full operational deployment. Each level requires specific evidence, including prototypes, testing, etc. It introduces a two-step assessment process, where claimed readiness levels are verified against defined criteria, along with periodic reviews to track progression.