Harnessing science and technology policy to drive innovation in India: A conversation with Dr. Parvinder Maini

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Parvinder Maini about the role of science and technology (S&T) policies in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Dr. Maini is the Scientific Secretary at the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India. In her current role, Dr. Maini is responsible for enlarging the R&D ecosystem in the country, formulating policies, and forging three-way industry-academia-government collaborations. A scientist-turned-policymaker, Dr. Maini has been instrumental in the launch of several critical national programs including the National Research Foundation and the National Deep Tech Policy among many others. An expert in meteorology and oceanography, Dr. Maini spent 20 years in the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) where she was instrumental in the development and implementation of statistical dynamical models for providing location-specific forecasts. She also spearheaded the Atmospheric Science and International Cooperation programs at MoES Headquarters. We spoke with Dr. Maini about how the Office of the PSA synergistically works with other governmental policymaking institutions to achieve India’s S&T goals.