Analysis | India's Renewed Push To Reverse Brain Drain

For decades, India has wrestled with the exodus of its brightest scientists, engineers, and academics to advanced economies offering better research infrastructure, pay, and institutional support. This persistent "brain drain" has weakened India's innovation capacity and slowed progress toward self-reliance in science and technology. Now, the Government of India is taking a strategic, multi-pronged approach to transform this loss into a gain.

At the heart of this renewed vision lies the Bharat-TALENT (Transforming and Leveraging Expertise and National Talent) Framework and the proposed Bharat Talent Alliance, together representing India's most coherent attempt yet to unify policies on human capital, research, and innovation.

A Unified National Mission

The Bharat-TALENT framework marks a paradigm shift in India's approach to talent management. It aims to integrate a wide array of initiatives that have long operated in silos across ministries and departments. Its goals are threefold: retain domestic talent, attract overseas Indian professionals (Bharat-Return), and build institutional capacity by creating a more enabling ecosystem for research and innovation.

A key mechanism will be the Bharat Talent Alliance, envisioned as a national coordination body to unify policies, streamline recruitment and funding processes, and serve as a single platform for diaspora engagement and global partnerships. Aligned with this, the Ministries of Education and Science & Technology are designing a new program to attract accomplished Indian-origin researchers and academics for short-term, high-impact appointments. This would strengthen domestic research capacity while offering diaspora scholars structured avenues to contribute to India’s R&D priorities.

Representational image (Getty Images)

Brain Drain to Brain Gain

To make India a competitive destination for global Indian talent, the government is crafting new schemes and incentives—ranging from leadership positions in IITs, IISc, and national labs to attractive postdoctoral fellowships. The proposed 'Brain Gain Bharat' initiative aims to attract thousands of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and foreign experts by offering competitive salaries, start-up research grants, and relocation support.

It builds upon earlier efforts such as VAJRA Faculty Scheme (SERB/ANRF), for short-term collaborative research in India, Ramalingaswamy Fellowship (DBT), to encourage Indian-origin biomedical scientists to return, Ramanujan Fellowship (DST), for outstanding Indian scientists and engineers abroad, and Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP), supporting returnees across career stages. While these schemes have achieved moderate success, issues such as institutional inertia, fragmented implementation, and limited follow-through have curtailed their full impact.

Nurturing Talent at Home

Parallel to diaspora-focused programs, the government has launched multiple initiatives to strengthen the domestic research pipeline. These include the Prime Minister's Research Fellows (PMRF) program, STARS (Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Sciences), INSPIRE, and the MK Bhan Young Researcher Fellowship. Together, they seek to nurture young scientific talent, reduce the outflow of researchers, and ensure that opportunities within India are intellectually and professionally rewarding.

Infographic for article on Brain Drain (ETV Bharat)

Building a Supportive Ecosystem

Policy reforms are now being complemented by investments in the broader research and innovation ecosystem:

Infrastructure: New laboratories, centers of excellence (CoEs), and collaborative hubs are being created through DST, ANRF, and partner institutes like IISc and TIFR.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Startup India, Make in India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat have stimulated a vibrant culture of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship.

Diaspora Engagement: Initiatives like Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the VAIBHAV Summit, and Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) foster collaboration between Indian institutions and global Indian scholars.

Education Reform: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises quality enhancement, interdisciplinarity, and "Study in India" as a global education brand.

Quality of Life: Urban renewal and Smart City projects are improving liveability, an important factor for attracting and retaining talent.

As a country, the states must recognise the need to proactively complement this national effort of the Government of India, the expected outcomes will remain limited. The states have more opportunities to gain from the reversal of brain drain to address local issues using science and technology.

Representational image (IANS)

Persistent Challenges

Despite strong policy intent, structural hurdles remain. Many public universities, especially State Public Universities, suffer from bureaucratic delays, underfunding, and over-reliance on temporary faculty, recruited with low-stringent procedures. Returnee scientists frequently encounter unclear commitments, limited autonomy, and administrative bottlenecks. Evaluation systems often reward past achievements over potential local impact. Many new central universities are in remote locations, deterring relocation. The academic hierarchy, roster points, grant delays, and lack of housing or schooling options further complicate matters.

If India wishes to become a preferred destination for top scientists, these systemic issues must be addressed with urgency and transparency jointly by the Governments at the Centre and in the states.

Learning from Neighbour’s Experience

China's Thousand Talents Plan, launched in 2008, offers instructive lessons. By aligning incentives, investing in infrastructure, and coordinating across ministries, China transformed itself into a global innovation powerhouse within two decades.

India, as a democracy and a market-driven system, cannot and should not emulate China's state-controlled approach. Yet it can learn from China's strategic coherence, long-term planning, and infrastructure-led reform.

Toward a Coherent 'Brain Gain Bharat Mission'

To truly convert brain drain into brain circulation, India needs a national mission anchored in the Bharat Talent Alliance. Such a mission must simplify administrative procedures, grant institutions greater hiring autonomy, and offer hybrid career pathways combining teaching, research, and industry collaboration.

Dual-track incentives such as long-term research grants and joint appointments can help retain top minds. Strengthening regional universities will ensure that opportunities are not confined to a few elite institutes. Fostering deeper industry–academia linkages is essential so that science translates into tangible technological and societal progress.

The Road Ahead

India's transition from a talent-exporting nation to a knowledge-driven innovation hub hinges on how effectively it can harness the expertise of its global diaspora while nurturing home-grown excellence. The Bharat-Talent Framework and the Bharat Talent Alliance represent a historic opportunity to consolidate fragmented efforts into a coherent national strategy. Success will depend not just on incentives, but on institutional reform, meritocracy, and accountability—creating an ecosystem where Indian and Indian-origin scientists view India not as a fall-back option, but as the first choice for impactful research and innovation.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat)