The eighth UK-India Science and Innovation Council (SIC) took place in New Delhi on Monday, 12 October 2026. It was co-chaired by Jonathan Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for the Ministries of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India.
At the meeting, the UK and Indian Ministers discussed the importance of bilateral UK-India collaboration in areas of knowledge advancement and growth.
They welcomed the signing of an Implementation Arrangement between the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).
UKRI investments: celebrating the STFC-ISIS partnership
This partnership marks the second phase of the ISIS-JNCASR collaboration, with India’s DST confirming an additional investment of £3 million in the STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source.
This long-standing partnership, dating back to 1983, will launch a second phase in early 2027.
The funding will enable Indian researchers to access world-class facilities at ISIS and contribute to the development of cutting-edge scientific instruments.
The partnership will support continued instrumentation development at the ISIS facility and science collaborations between the researchers of the UK and India.
The ISIS-JNCASR programme has enabled research in quantum materials, materials for net-zero, membrane research and cultural heritage studies.
It has attracted strong international visibility for the facility, with India now one of its largest beamtime users.
The partnership has supported extended research visits for postdoctoral researchers, and over 100 PhD theses will contain data generated by this programme.
Ongoing India-UKRI partnerships
The SIC also discussed the success of the recent UK-India InnoXchange Market Visit, a new UKRI-DST initiative to provide a research, innovation and commercialisation platform for businesses and incubation centre managers in the UK and India.
Last month, five small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and six incubation managers from the advanced manufacturing sector participated in a week-long visit with a focus on knowledge exchange.
Initial discussions with participants of the first cohort demonstrate the programme’s ability to catalyse new partnerships, knowledge exchange and commercial collaboration opportunities between the two countries.
UKRI India: a forward look
UKRI India reaffirmed our commitment to work closely in partnership with our Government of India partners towards strengthening institutional partnerships, accelerating technology translation and commercialisation, and supporting talent to deliver the highest impact for our citizens, researchers, innovators and businesses.
We are exploring next-generation batteries, pharma and medtech, technology skills, and creative industries as some of our future priorities.
Celebrating UK-India partnership
In recognition of this moment, Frances Wood, International Director, UKRI, said:
I am delighted to celebrate the UK and India’s partnership in advancing knowledge, improving lives and driving economic growth. The UK-India research and innovation relationship is one of our broadest and most dynamic, spanning the full spectrum from fundamental discovery through to innovation and commercialisation. I am proud of the impact this collaboration continues to have, strengthening our research communities and supporting thriving innovation ecosystems in both countries.
In support of the continued UK-India science collaboration, Dr Praveen K. Somasundaram, Head, International Collaboration Division, DST, said:
The Science and Innovation Council continues to provide an important platform for advancing the strategic research and innovation partnership between India and the United Kingdom. We welcome the progress achieved through our existing collaborations and the growing ambition to explore new areas of cooperation. Together, we are strengthening scientific capability, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities that will contribute to economic growth, knowledge exchange and shared prosperity in both nations.
A commitment to advancing knowledge
On India’s additional investment in STFC’s ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Sarah Rogers, Director of the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, said:
India is one of the longest-standing international partners for STFC’s ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. The renewed partnership will bring excellent science to ISIS from India, will enable Indian scientists to access world-class facilities at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, and will provide support for ISIS’s ongoing instrument development programme. It will also foster wider collaboration between UK and Indian researchers. We are very much looking forward to continuing our partnership and the excellent science that this will enable.