ISRO released the second set of scientific data from the Aditya-L1 mission on February 25th, 2025. This data, gathered by the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, provides valuable insights into the Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona, as well as in-situ particle and magnetic field measurements at the first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point L1. The data is available to researchers and students through the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) portal, encouraging collaborative research and knowledge sharing within the scientific community.
In another remarkable achievement, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard Aditya-L1 captured an unprecedented view of a powerful solar flare in the lower solar atmosphere, namely the photosphere and the chromosphere. This observation, made in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength range (200-400 nm), marks the first time the Sun’s entire disk has been imaged in this wavelength with such detail. The captured images provide crucial insights into explosive solar activities and the intricate processes governing energy transfer across different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.
One of the most significant findings from the SUIT’s observations is the detection of localized brightening on the Sun’s surface, corresponding to a rise in plasma temperature in the solar corona, the outermost layer of the Sun. This finding confirms long-standing theoretical predictions about how energy from solar flares heats up the corona. The data gathered by SUIT will help scientists better understand the dynamics of solar flares and their energy transfer processes, potentially leading to improved space weather forecasting and enhanced protection for satellites and other space-based assets.
India is making significant strides in ocean exploration with the development of Matsya-6000, its fourth-generation deep-ocean submersible. This submersible, designed to accommodate three humans, is a key initiative of the government’s Deep Ocean Mission and is being developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Samudrayan Project. Matsya-6000 boasts advanced technologies, including a compact spherical hull, a main ballast system for diving, thrusters for movement, a battery bank for power supply, and syntactic foam for buoyancy. It also features sophisticated communication and navigation systems, ensuring precise location tracking and underwater communication.
The submersible has successfully completed dry and wet testing to assess its operational capabilities. The trials involved eight dives, five unmanned and three manned, validating its functionality at depths of up to 500 meters. While further testing is required for optimal performance at greater depths, the successful wet test has strengthened confidence in conducting shallow-water demonstrations by the end of 2025.
In a significant advancement for India’s defence capabilities, IIT Kanpur has developed a new technology called the Metamaterial Surface Cloaking System (Anālakṣhya MSCS). This innovative system is designed to make military vehicles, aircraft, and other equipment nearly invisible to radar systems, enhancing stealth and protection against enemy detection.
The Anālakṣhya MSCS utilizes special materials known as “metamaterials” to absorb a broad range of radar waves, including those used by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), commonly employed in military and surveillance operations. By significantly reducing the chances of military assets being detected by SAR, the system provides crucial protection from radar-guided weapons and surveillance systems.
The technology was developed by a team of researchers at IIT Kanpur, who took several years to perfect it through rigorous laboratory and field testing. Notably, over 90% of the materials used in the project were sourced from India, marking a significant step toward self-reliance in defence technology.
India’s supercomputing infrastructure has significantly expanded under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), reaching PetaFlops with the addition of 5 PetaFlops in 2024. This initiative, steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), aims to provide the country with supercomputing infrastructure to meet the increasing computational demands of academia, researchers, MSMEs, and startups.
The largest supercomputing system, commissioned at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi, boasts 3 PetaFlops of computing power. Additional supercomputers at NCRA-Pune and SN Bose Institute-Kolkata further strengthen computational research. The future roadmap includes adding 45 more PetaFlops, pushing India’s supercomputing capabilities to 77 PetaFlops using indigenous technology.
NSM has been instrumental in fostering indigenous development across all components of supercomputing, creating a robust, self-reliant high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem. This includes the development of the PARAM series of supercomputers, featuring the indigenous Rudra server platform and Trinetra high-speed interconnects. These systems are cost-efficient and power-efficient in operation.
India is witnessing a surge in electric vehicle (EV) technology advancements, with institutions like IIT Roorkee playing a crucial role in skill development and innovation. IIT Roorkee has introduced a modern EV Training Facility and Laboratory to help students gain practical skills in the electric vehicle industry. They have also introduced an Advanced Course on Green Hydrogen and Electric Vehicles for college students, equipping the future workforce with the necessary expertise to drive India’s EV revolution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the genome sequencing data of 10,000 Indian nationals, marking a significant milestone in biotechnology research. This national database, created under the Genome India Project, will aid in treating genetic and infectious diseases, developing new medications, and advancing precision medical techniques. The project aims to capture the genetic diversity of India’s population, contributing to advancements in healthcare and scientific research.
The Genome India Project has successfully sequenced the genomes of 10,074 samples, covering 99 ethnic groups. The data is securely stored at the Indian Biological Data Centre and will serve as a reference for researchers, enabling the development of precision medicine, genome chips for large-scale genetic studies, and personalized healthcare solutions.
The Union Cabinet has also approved the continuation of two umbrella schemes under the Department of Biotechnology, merged into ‘Bio-RIDE’. This scheme aims to foster innovation and bio-entrepreneurship with a proposed outlay of Rs 9197 crore from 2021-22 to 2025-26, focusing on biomanufacturing and environmental sustainability. Bio-RIDE will promote the development of indigenous innovative solutions to improve healthcare outcomes, enhance agriculture productivity, foster growth of the bioeconomy, and scale-up and commercialization of bio-based products.
The Department of Science and Technology has announced sweeping changes to India’s mapping policy, specifically for Indian companies. Geospatial data that used to be restricted will now be freely available in India. Indian companies no longer require prior approvals before they collect, generate, prepare, disseminate, store, publish, update digital Geospatial Data and Maps within the territory of India. These changes are expected to boost innovation in map technologies and empower Indian companies to create substantial advances in mapping, ultimately making our lives easier and empowering small businesses.
In a unique initiative to promote public awareness of weather science, India has inaugurated its first “Open-Air Art Wall Museum” at Mausam Bhawan, New Delhi. This museum, developed in collaboration with Delhi Street Art, celebrates 150 years of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) through a vibrant series of murals, depicting its history, technological advancements, and contributions to society.
The museum features 38 murals that visually narrate India’s meteorological advancements, IMD’s historical evolution, and its contribution to society. The murals depict key milestones in meteorology, showcasing advancements in technology and IMD’s contributions to climate resilience.
Google Research, India, has developed a new AI co-scientist system that can assist scientists in generating novel hypotheses and research proposals. This multi-agent AI system, built with Gemini 2.0, is designed to mirror the reasoning process underpinning the scientific method.
The AI co-scientist can generate research hypotheses, detailed research overviews, and experimental protocols based on a scientist’s research goal specified in natural language. It also uses tools like web-search and specialized AI models to enhance the grounding and quality of generated hypotheses.
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur, have developed piezoelectric molecular crystals that repair themselves from mechanical damages without the need for any external intervention.
Called bipyrazole organic crystals, these piezoelectric molecules recombine following mechanical fracture without any external intervention, autonomously self-healing in milliseconds with crystallographic precision. This breakthrough has potential applications in high-end micro-chips, high precision mechanical sensors, actuators, micro-robotics, and smart gadgets that self-repair cracks or scratches.
Researchers at Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have made a groundbreaking discovery in nano-metal technology, uncovering a phenomenon called electron confinement-induced plasmonic breakdown in metals.
This research, published in Science Advances, reveals how reducing metal size to the nanoscale alters electron behavior, suppressing their collective oscillations (plasmonic properties). This behavior is crucial for advanced optical and electronic applications, and it fundamentally changes under quantum confinement.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is poised for a profound transformation in 2025, with innovation, wider global access, and improvement in quality becoming key themes for the future. The industry, which is expected to grow nearly two-fold to around USD 130 billion in size by 2030, is looking to take advantage of conducive policies, demographic and digital talent, in making India play a pivotal role in advancing global health for all.
Technological advancements like AI, machine learning, and precision medicine are revolutionizing drug discovery, manufacturing, and patient care. India is also witnessing a rise in strategic alliances with global big pharma companies, primarily to accelerate commercialization and expand market reach for new molecular entities (NMEs).
India’s milk consumption is expected to rise in 2025, driven by factors such as population growth, rising disposable income, and increasing awareness about health and nutrition. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing health, opting for dairy products enriched with nutrients such as probiotics, calcium, and protein. Functional foods—like probiotic yoghurts and fortified milk—are gaining popularity for their ability to support gut health, immunity, and overall well-being.
In a bid to promote sustainable packaging and reduce plastic waste, researchers from IIT Roorkee have developed Kodo millet-based edible cups. These cups are enhanced with guar gum and hibiscus powder to improve strength and biodegradability, offering a promising eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic packaging.
India’s healthcare industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation, marked by an increasing emphasis on innovation and technology that is redefining the delivery of healthcare services. This evolution is characterized by the integration of advanced digital solutions, such as telemedicine and health apps, which are enhancing accessibility and convenience for patients, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
India’s life sciences sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by factors such as an aging population, increasing healthcare needs, and government support. The sector is attracting significant investment, with a focus on areas such as personalized medicine, cell therapies, and gene therapies.
India’s aviation sector is poised for remarkable growth, with the demand for air travel in India soaring due to a variety of trends taking place in the industry. India is expected to overtake China and the United States as the world’s third-largest air passenger market in the next ten years, by 2030.
India’s mobility industry is expected to exceed $600 billion by 2030, driven by rising demand for electric vehicles, including preferences for advanced technology in electric four-wheelers and practicality in electric two-wheelers. Emerging mobility models, digital purchase journeys, and increasing influence of women and Gen Z are also shaping the sector’s transformation.
India is at the cusp of a telecom and artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. As of 2023, the country had over 1.17 billion mobile subscribers and is witnessing rapid growth in internet penetration, largely driven by affordable data plans and increasing smartphone usage.
India’s climate-tech sector is playing a critical role in shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for the Indian economy. Investments supporting the development and deployment of innovative climate technologies are helping India transition to cleaner energy sources and implement sustainable practices in various other sectors to meet its climate commitments.
