Innovation Seems Due Along Highways

September 5, 2025

India is set to revolutionise its innovation landscape with the development of innovation corridors, aimed at fostering collaboration between research, design, manufacturing, and talent pipelines. However, the specific leaders driving these initiatives have yet to be identified.

These innovation corridors are expected to stimulate various industries within India, such as mining, refining, materials science, power grid upgrades, and recycling. By institutionalising convergence as a national innovation strategy and embedding it in these corridors, India can aspire not just for self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) but a truly advanced nation (Viksit Bharat).

The global race for leadership in emerging technologies is intensifying, and convergence is not about addition, it is about multiplication. In the right ecosystem, the meeting of two disciplines can generate exponential outcomes. The development of an EV battery innovation within such a corridor could have profound effects on multiple industries, including telecom, automotive, defence, and consumer electronics.

The Prime Minister's 2047 vision demands a mindset shift. Leaders in academia must embrace industry timelines without compromising scientific rigor, industry must invest in early-stage research, and policymakers must design regulations that protect public interest while enabling rapid experimentation.

Universities in India could align their research priorities with national missions, start-ups could gain easier access to capital-intensive prototyping infrastructure, corporates could establish dedicated convergence labs, and the government could provide mission-oriented funding that rewards multi-disciplinary teams.

It is important to note that the views expressed by Sondhi, a former MD and CEO of Ashok Leyland, and Verma, a Former Secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board, Government of India, are personal.

The establishment of these innovation corridors could potentially make India a net exporter of high-value components and intellectual property, further propelling the country towards technological superiority.