The Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India has held its first meeting of State Government Nodal Officers to boost how scientific research infrastructure is shared and used across the country. The gathering, held on 21 September 2026, brings together officials from 23 States and 4 Union Territories to coordinate participation in the I-STEM Portal, a national platform launched by the Prime Minister in January 2020.
What is I-STEM and what does it offer
I-STEM is a digital platform designed to connect publicly funded scientific equipment and research facilities across institutions nationwide. The platform currently lists over 31,000 scientific instruments housed in approximately 4,000 institutions. It has more than 65,000 registered users who can search for and access specialised equipment they may not have in their own labs.
Under current rules, all publicly funded scientific equipment costing above 20 lakh rupees must be listed on I-STEM. The platform aims to reduce wasteful duplication of expensive equipment purchases, make better use of existing resources, and give universities, colleges, research labs and even startups access to facilities they would otherwise struggle to afford.
At the meeting, officials discussed five main priorities:
- Getting more State universities, colleges and research institutions to register as both users and equipment providers on I-STEM
- Making it easier for researchers, small businesses and industry to find and use available scientific infrastructure
- Ensuring equipment already bought is being properly used rather than sitting idle
- Using the national data on equipment availability to plan future purchases wisely and avoid duplication
- Empowering State-level coordination officers to help institutions get on board and address practical problems
What this means for you
If you work in research, education or a startup, I-STEM could give you access to expensive scientific instruments without your institution having to buy them. Researchers in less well-funded colleges can now connect with laboratories in other States that have the equipment they need. Universities save money by sharing resources instead of each purchasing the same costly machines. The platform is also being linked with other similar government portals to create a single entry point for finding research facilities across India.