Policy Update
Sivapriya
Overview
The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems was launched in December 2018 by the Government of India as an initiative of the Department of Science & Technology. With an approved outlay of 3660 crores for five years, the mission has established 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) in major educational institutes across India, focusing on AI, Robotics, Cyber Security, Data Analytics, etc. At present, the active period of the mission has been extended by four years to December 2027. The mission aims to research and develop Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) technology, start-up incubation, and facilitate commercialization. The mission operates under four major areas:
a. Technology development
b. Entrepreneurship development
c. Human resource development
d. International collaborations.
NM-ICPS operates with the vision of producing next-gen technocrats in CPS technologies, achieving translation of CPS technologies for societal and commercial use and making India a leading player in CPS technologies.
Objectives
1. To promote translational research in CPS, develop prototypes and demonstrate applications related to national priorities.
2. To enhance a high-end research base, and HR development to foster an innovation and emerging ecosystem.
3. To set up world-class interdisciplinary centres of excellence in several academic institutions across the country that can become repositories of core expertise in CPS and related areas and serve as focal points for technological inputs for the industry and policy advice for the government.
4. To collaborate with incubation centres and accelerators to nurture private participation and encourage pilot-scale research projects.
5. To set mission mode application goals and foundational themes for excellence for different centres and set up CPS test beds.
Structure
Each TIH (Technology Innovation Hub) is a Section 8 Company and operates as an independent entity within its host institute. Each hub is assigned a specific Technology Vertical in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IoT) & Internet of Everything (IoE), Data Banks & Services, Cyber Security, Quantum technologies, etc. The mission aims to be a comprehensive addition to research and development by bringing together academia, industry, government, and international organisations. It is structured as an integrated ecosystem by fostering entrepreneurship, developing next-gen skilled manpower, catalyzing translational research, and promoting the commercialization of CPS technologies.
Impact
1. Funding & Grants Secured/Enabled:
a. IIT Ropar Technology and Innovation Foundation – enabled over Rs 2.6 crores in grants, Rs 1.3 crores for Sanitation and Water Action for Conserving Humanity (SWACH) startups. It is also responsible for laying the foundation for a WISE fund (approximately Rs 2 crore) for women-led startups and a Rs 1 crore AI-powered water lab.
b. IIT Bombay – funding of Rs 1 crore secured on Shark Tank for startup Ayati Devices.
c. IISc Bangalore’s ARTPARK supported Astrome Technology, which secured $10 million in funding.
2. Startup incubation and support
a. IIIT Delhi’s iHub Anubhuti-IIITD Foundation incubated four new startups in one quarter, including One2X, which boosts healthcare communication analysis across 250+ languages.
b. IIT Ropar’s Animeta startup reached 2 lakh+ farmers and saved over ₹100 crore in veterinary costs.
c. IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation’s incubated startup DataCorp Engineering Innovations Private Limited, is focused on semi and fully autonomous farm equipment to enhance farm productivity and optimize resource use
d. Tech innovation hubs from IIT Kanpur, IIT Bhilai, IIT Indore have more than three women-led startups under their incubation.
3. Skill development and training
a. ISER Pune’s I-HUB QTF awarded 14 Chanakya Undergraduate Fellowships, including 9 to female students. They also conducted five Quantum Seminars.
b. IIT Mandi’s iHub and HCi Foundation enrolled 126 students in various courses, with 20 completing certification and 31 placed in companies. They also enrolled about 1,884 participants in DST-sponsored SC Project courses, with 1,830 certified.
c. IIT (BHU) Varanasi’s I-DAPT Hub Foundation conducted 4 workshops/Short Term Courses/guest lectures, benefiting 500+ participants, and an IPR Awareness Workshop for 350+ participants.
d. IIT Madras offers a 24-month hybrid Master’s Program in Aviation Safety Management with 12 modules and a 6-month dissertation helping professionals gain critical knowledge.
4. Research and innovation
a. IIT Bombay’s TIH reduced water usage by 18% through Agri IoT products and achieved a 15% efficiency improvement in business process automation using AI.
b. IIT (BHU) Varanasi won the Fumio Okano Award by developing a Learning Assisted Phase Sensor at their I-DAPT hub.
c. IIT Mandi achieved 98.7% accuracy in clinical validation of their non-invasive glucometer and created a dataset of 652 samples.
d. IIT Bhilai’s BhoomiCold software installed at a cold storage unit in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, helps around 2000 farmers by providing cold storage options, improving efficiency and financial inclusivity.
5. Empowerment of women in STEM
a. IIT Kanpur’s C3iHub includes 30 women engineers and research engineers, with 11 projects led by women principal investigators, and supports three women-founded start-ups.
b. IIT Ropar’s iHub – AWaDH has 5 women researchers in technology development, supported 53 women entrepreneurs, and 56 women researchers benefited from fellowships.
c. IIT Indore’s IITI DRISHTI CPS Foundation supported 17 women-led startups and 14 women researchers across various cutting-edge technologies.
d. IIT Bhilai’s IBITF has 39 women researchers and 31 women faculty members/researchers as principal investigators, leading to the incubation of five women-led startups.
Conclusion
The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) has been a pivotal force in India’s technological growth since its inception. With continued efforts and research at the Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), the mission has been executed to foster a comprehensive ecosystem by bridging the gap between academia, industry, government and international organisations. Over the years, numerous quantifiable achievements at the TIHs have been recorded, like over Rs 2.6 crore in grants at IIT Ropar, Rs 1 crore funding for Ayati Devices from IIT Bombay and so on. Apart from this, the mission also focuses on its aim of skill development and inclusivity by encouraging women-led initiatives at the institutions.
To cement the growth and contribution of the mission further, it could focus on expanding the startup ecosystem by increasing job creation, encouraging indigenous technology development to reduce foreign dependency and face global competition. The mission should also broaden sectoral transformation by actively integrating CPS technologies in areas like defense, smart cities, and public services.
In conclusion, NM-ICPS drives innovation and research to place India at par with other advanced countries and achieve the goals of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.
References
- Cabinet approves National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems. (2018).
Pib.gov.in. https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1554936
- NM-ICPS boosting new and emerging technologies to power national initiatives | Department Of Science & Technology. (2023a). Dst.gov.in. NM-ICPS boosting new and emerging technologies to power national initiatives
- NMICPS. (2018). Nmicps.gov.in. https://nmicps.gov.in/management
- PARLIAMENT QUESTION: NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS. (2025). Pib.gov.in. parliament question: national mission on interdisciplinary cyber physical systems
About the contributor:
Sivapriya is a fourth-year undergraduate at Miranda House College, University of Delhi, pursuing BA(Hons) Economics with a minor in Geography
Acknowledgement:
The author sincerely thanks the IMPRI team for their support.
Disclaimer:
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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