Office of Principal Scientific Adviser Launches TRL Compass Platform and Signs MoU with DSCI
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (OPSA), in collaboration with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), launched the TRL Compass Platform on 29 June 2026 to standardize Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments across sectors. The platform adapts the globally accepted nine-level TRL scale to the specific needs of India's research and innovation ecosystem and provides a common national standard for evaluating projects seeking public funding.
The launch occurred under the chairmanship of Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and was attended by Dr. Parvinder Maini (Scientific Secretary, OPSA), Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman (CEO, ANRF), Sangeeta Gupta (Sr. VP and CSO, NASSCOM), and senior officials from OPSA, DSCI, and CSIR.
TRL Compass will support the effective implementation of key national initiatives including the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. The platform includes sector-specific annexures for Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals and Software, enabling domain-specific assessments. It transforms project evaluation from subjective judgement into an objective, documentation-backed assessment of technology, manufacturing, quality, and programmatic readiness.
Prof. Sood emphasized that as India moves towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the country's scientific strength will be measured by its ability to translate research into deployable and commercially viable technologies. He stressed the need for a common framework to assess technology readiness, guide public investment, and support commercialization, advising institutions to adopt TRL Compass as a standard framework for funding, reviewing, and developing technology.
Dr. Parvinder Maini highlighted that many Indian innovations struggle to move from laboratory to market due to the absence of a common way to assess technology maturity. She stated that TRL Compass provides a shared and objective framework that will align academia, industry, and funding agencies, facilitate technology transfer, and encourage greater focus on real-world outcomes.
Mr. Rohit Gupta, Chief Technology Officer at OPSA, presented how TRL Compass adapts the globally accepted Technology Readiness Level methodology to India's innovation ecosystem needs, particularly as the country expands national research and deep-technology initiatives.
Mr. Vinayak Godse, CEO of DSCI, welcomed India's growing investment in deep-tech research and innovation, emphasizing that these ambitions require a robust framework to assess technology readiness, making TRL Compass a timely initiative.
Following the launch, Mr. Vinayak Godse (CEO, DSCI) and Dr. Preeti Banzal (Adviser/Scientist 'G', OPSA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of their respective organizations. The MoU facilitates collaboration on technology readiness assessments, capability mapping, and the development of a Technology Radar methodology. The partnership will also focus on building a pool of trained assessors for TRL assessments and driving the adoption of TRL Compass across India's research and innovation ecosystem.
The complete framework, including assessment questionnaires and supporting guidance, is now openly available to researchers, project investigators, reviewers, and funding agencies across the country and can be accessed at www.trlcompass.in.