India has an ambitious plan to lure scientists back — will it work?
The Indian government has launched an ambitious initiative to attract overseas Indian researchers to return home, introducing the "Prime Minister's Research Chair" (PMRC) program. The program will fund 120 Indian researchers working at universities, laboratories, or research institutions for five years, providing up to 50 million rupees (approximately $520,000) in research funding, along with allowances for accommodation, healthcare, and other benefits. The initiative focuses on strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and advanced materials. Although India is not the only country implementing such measures—China, France, Germany, and Denmark also offer return scholarships for scientists—researchers point out that current programs fail to address the root causes of brain drain, including inadequate research infrastructure, uncompetitive salaries, and limited career advancement opportunities. In the 2024–25 academic year, approximately 363,000 Indian students were studying in U.S. universities, and 73% of Indian researchers who left have not returned. Theoretical physicist Aavishkar Patel notes that tightening U.S. immigration policies, increased visa scrutiny, and uncertainty in research funding are diminishing the appeal of the United States, while India's research investment has more than doubled since 2010.