India has no shortage of brilliant ideas. Every year, researchers across premier institutions, from IITs to CSIR labs, generate thousands of papers, patents, and prototypes. Yet, only a fraction of these innovations ever reach the people who could benefit from them. A low-cost diagnostic kit developed in a lab gathers dust. An energy-efficient farming device never makes it to rural India. A breakthrough molecule doesn’t enter drug development. Why?
The answer lies in what experts call the missing middle, a chronic gap between research and market-ready application. Despite India’s growing research output, its ability to convert knowledge into impact remains uneven. Science policy has so far excelled at funding discovery, but falters when it comes to deployment.
In this blog we will discuss why research often fails to reach real-world use, what’s being done to bridge this gap, and what policy steps can drive impact beyond the lab.
What is the Missing Middle in Science Policy?
The research-to-market journey involves several stages: discovery, proof-of-concept, validation, scaling, and commercialisation. In India, the early and late ends of this pipeline receive attention, academic institutions focus on discovery, and large industries back late-stage, profit-ready innovations. But in between lies the critical phase where prototypes need testing, funding, mentoring, and risk-sharing.
This is where policy support is weakest. Most universities lack strong technology transfer offices. Industry collaborations are inconsistent. Early-stage funding for validation and piloting is scarce. As a result, potentially transformative ideas stall before they can reach users.
The Consequences of the Policy Gap
The costs of this policy gap are more than just economic. Publicly funded research remains underutilised. Inventors move abroad in search of better innovation ecosystems. Promising social innovations, especially in public health, agriculture, and clean energy, never get off the ground.
Take, for instance, India’s low patent commercialisation rate. According to the Economic Survey (2022), while Indian researchers file a growing number of patents, only a small percentage translate into licensed technologies or products. The result? Wasted potential, delayed progress, and missed opportunities for improving lives.
What’s Working: Emerging Bridges Between Research and Application
There’s hope. A number of government-backed and private initiatives are stepping in to plug the gap.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Organisations like BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) have created funding and incubation pathways for biotech innovations, helping researchers move from lab to clinic.
Innovation Hubs and Incubators: Start-up ecosystems linked to academia—like SINE at IIT Bombay, C-CAMP in Bengaluru, and T-Hub in Hyderabad—are helping researchers refine business models, test prototypes, and attract investors.
Strategic Sector Collaborations: Initiatives like iDEX by the Ministry of Defence support defence and aerospace innovators with grants, mentoring, and exposure to procurement opportunities.
These models show that when policy enables risk-sharing, collaboration, and flexible funding, the innovation pipeline gets stronger.
What Policy Levers Can Bridge the Gap?
To truly bridge the missing middle, science policy in India must evolve from being discovery-oriented to deployment-focused. Here are some steps that could accelerate the shift:
Strengthen Tech Transfer Offices (TTOs): Every university and national lab should have dedicated professionals who understand IP management, industry collaboration, and product development pathways.
Incentivise Industry to Back Early-Stage Research: Through tax breaks, co-funding schemes, or procurement guarantees, the private sector can be encouraged to engage earlier in the innovation pipeline.
Create Dedicated Proof-of-Concept Funds: These small-scale, high-risk grants can help researchers test usability, scalability, and real-world performance.
Integrate Research Evaluation with Societal Impact: Shift academic incentives from “publish or perish” to also value “impact or perish.” Policymakers could mandate that research grants include a knowledge-to-practice pathway.
Promote Open Innovation Platforms: Platforms that connect startups, universities, corporates, and government departments can catalyse collaboration and reduce redundancy.
India@2047: The Urgency to Act Now
As India looks ahead to 2047, its 100th year of independence, the dream of becoming a global innovation leader cannot rest on academic excellence alone. We need bold, agile, and inclusive policy mechanisms that ensure research leads to impact. The draft Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020 already recognises this need, but implementation remains uneven.
This shift isn’t just about economic growth or global rankings. It’s about delivering climate-resilient farming tools to smallholder farmers. It’s about life-saving drugs reaching rural health centres. It’s about using AI to improve disaster response. In short, it’s about science serving society.
Conclusion
India’s missing middle is not just a gap, it’s a call to action. To fulfil the promise of its scientific talent, India must urgently redesign its policy approach to support the entire innovation lifecycle. From lab bench to market shelf, from discovery to delivery, the journey must be seamless, supported, and incentivised.
If India gets this right, it won’t just be known for great research, but for real impact.
