As Trump tightens reins on US academia, Modi govt eyes 'star faculty' return

The government is preparing a new scheme to attract Indian-origin “star faculty” and accomplished researchers based overseas to return and work in Indian institutions, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s research and innovation ecosystem.

According to an exclusive report by the Indian Express, the plan aims to bring back top-tier Indian-origin scientists and academics with significant research credentials for medium- to long-term positions in India’s premier institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), leading research laboratories, and autonomous bodies under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

The Principal Scientific Adviser’s office has reportedly held a series of consultations with the Department of Higher Education, DST, and DBT to finalise the contours of the scheme. To ensure smooth reintegration, the proposal includes a substantial “set-up grant” that would allow returning scholars to establish laboratories and recruit research teams in India.

The scheme is expected to focus on 12–14 priority areas within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), particularly those that hold strategic importance for national capacity building. Several IIT directors are said to have participated in discussions and expressed support for the move.

Quoting Dr Chintan Vaishnav, academician at the MIT Sloan School of Management and former Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission, The Indian Express reported that the government’s success will depend on how well it removes procedural frictions. “Mechanisms must be created to address everyday needs like housing, hospitality, and logistics, with a genuine red-carpet approach,” Dr Vaishnav said.

He added that while India may not be able to match global pay scales, “good signalling can attract talent”. “The focus should be on selecting the right people and giving them the freedom to innovate,” he said, urging light oversight and autonomy akin to the trust-based approach once championed by Vikram Sarabhai at ISRO.

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The development comes at a time when countries across the world are competing for global academic talent.

In the United States, President Donald Trump’s administration has rolled out the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”, linking federal funding to a range of ideological and structural conditions such as caps on international student intake and tuition freezes.

Critics argue that these policies undermine university autonomy and academic freedom.

Meanwhile, Europe has moved to bolster research independence, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announcing plans to enshrine academic freedom in European law.

China and Taiwan have also expanded well-funded recruitment programmes to attract overseas scholars and internationalise their higher education systems.

India’s proposed scheme is being viewed as an attempt to position its institutions competitively in this shifting global landscape and to tackle the persistent problem of brain drain.

Existing programmes such as the Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Programme, launched by the DST in 2017–18, have seen limited participation — with only around 100 overseas scientists collaborating with Indian institutions and about 60 projects completed, according to a recent Parliamentary reply cited by The Indian Express.

Experts continue to highlight the structural challenges that make Indian academia less appealing to international talent. Educationists Philip G. Altbach and Eldho Mathews, writing in International Higher Education (2019), pointed out that Indian universities are constrained by bureaucratic red tape, limited research funding, and non-competitive salaries.

A full professor in India earns about USD 38,000 annually, compared with USD 130,000–200,000 in the US and around USD 100,000 in China.

Officials quoted in the Indian Express report said the new initiative is being crafted to address these issues, including procedural delays, lack of institutional support, and rigid tenure structures, while ensuring financial autonomy and flexibility for researchers. Modalities related to intellectual property rights and research independence are also under consideration.

Once finalised, the proposal will be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval. The government hopes the initiative will mark a decisive step towards reversing India’s scientific brain drain and enhancing its position in the global research landscape.

With Agency Inputs