New Delhi: The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India, in collaboration with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), has launched the TRL Compass Platform to establish a standardised framework for Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments across sectors.
The TRL Compass Platform was unveiled on June 29, 2026, under the chairmanship of Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
The launch event was attended by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, OPSA; Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Chief Executive Officer of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF); Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at NASSCOM; along with senior officials from OPSA, DSCI and CSIR.
The TRL Compass Platform adapts the globally accepted nine-level Technology Readiness Level scale to meet the specific requirements of India’s research and innovation ecosystem. It aims to provide a common national benchmark for evaluating research and technology projects seeking public funding.
The newly launched TRL Compass Platform is expected to support the implementation of major national initiatives such as the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The framework includes sector-specific annexures for Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals and Software, enabling domain-specific assessments.
The platform seeks to transform project evaluation processes by replacing subjective assessments with objective, documentation-backed evaluations covering technology maturity, manufacturing readiness, quality standards and programmatic preparedness.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood said that as India progresses towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the nation’s scientific capabilities will increasingly be measured by its ability to translate research into deployable and commercially viable technologies.
He stressed the importance of having a common framework to assess technology readiness, guide public investment decisions and facilitate commercialisation.
Prof. Sood also encouraged institutions to adopt the TRL Compass Platform as a standard framework for funding, reviewing and developing technologies.
Dr. Parvinder Maini highlighted that several Indian innovations struggle to transition from laboratories to markets due to the absence of a common mechanism for evaluating technology maturity.
She said, “TRL Compass provides a shared and objective framework that will bring academia, industry, and funding agencies onto the same page, make technology transfer easier, and encourage greater focus on real-world outcomes.”
Rohit Gupta, Chief Technology Officer at OPSA, presented the TRL Compass Platform and explained how it customises the globally accepted TRL methodology to suit India’s innovation ecosystem. He also underlined the framework’s growing relevance as India expands its national research and deep-tech initiatives.
Also Read: CSIR NIIST Tech Connect Drives Lab-to-Market Push with 11 Technology Transfers and MoU Signing
Vinayak Godse, Chief Executive Officer of DSCI, stated that the organisation has consistently focused on emerging technologies through technology forecasting, horizon scanning and capability mapping.
He welcomed India’s increasing investments in deep-tech research and innovation and emphasised that these ambitions require a robust technology readiness assessment framework, making the TRL Compass Platform a timely initiative.
During the event, Vinayak Godse, CEO, DSCI, and Dr. Preeti Banzal, Adviser/Scientist ‘G’, OPSA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their respective organisations.
The MoU will facilitate collaboration in areas such as technology readiness assessments, capability mapping and the development of a Technology Radar methodology.
The partnership will also focus on creating a pool of trained assessors for TRL assessments and accelerating the adoption of the TRL Compass Platform across India’s research and innovation ecosystem.
The complete TRL Compass Platform framework, including assessment questionnaires and guidance documents, has been made openly accessible to researchers, project investigators, reviewers and funding agencies across India through the official portal.
