FAST India

The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST India) is a non-profit that works to build capacity and advance policy solutions for scientific research in India. It was established in 2020 and is registered as the Center for Development and Promotion of Science. Its stated vision is to make India a top three science and technology nation.

The organisation holds that India needs leadership in research and technology translation to sustain economic growth beyond the service sector. It describes its approach as producing "how-to" policy briefs based on global practice and the Indian context, finding high-leverage points for reform and giving programmes support, and publishing data-driven State-of-Sector reports that track outcomes and how well processes work.

Headquarters: Delhi, India

Major Areas of Work

• Government: Helping the government reform R&D funding processes, increase research support to higher education institutions and simplify rules for institutions and scientists.

• Institutions: Studying exemplar institutions and working to improve research translation into industry projects and deep-tech and deep-science startups.

• Industry: Encouraging companies to invest more in their own R&D and to work more effectively with research institutions.

• Science Communication: Building public interest in science and creating ways for scientists and the wider public to engage with each other.

Major Initiatives and Programmes

• India Science Festival: An annual festival, held in person and online, with talks, interactive exhibitions, theatre, debates, games and science competitions for students, educators and the general public.

• India Science Book Fellowship: A one-year fellowship for India-based scientists, writers and communicators writing popular science books, offering a grant of up to Rs 10 lakh in four instalments, plus expert feedback and publishing support.

• Translational Research Playbook: A study of how IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, C-CAMP and Venture Center move research from lab to market, with a companion report on translation models in the US, China, Germany, Israel and Australia.

• State of Industry R&D in India: An analysis of R&D investment and disclosure by Indian and global firms across six strategic sectors, with sector briefs, an open dataset and the SPARK Framework for industry-led R&D.

• Ease of Doing Science Index India: A foundational report measuring the conditions researchers in India face in carrying out their work.

The India Science Festival is the organisation's largest public-facing programme. Alongside its events, it runs three competitions: Talk Your Thesis, a thesis presentation challenge for postgraduate students; Spin Your Science, a science fiction writing competition; and Science in Focus, a visual storytelling competition using photos, illustrations and memes.

Impact

FAST India states that the India Science Festival has drawn more than 135,000 attendees, 620 speakers and 450 events across its editions. The organisation has collaborated with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India on a technology report.

Leadership

• Varun Aggarwal, Trustee and Founder

• Ashish Dhawan, Honorary Co-Founder

• Sheel Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer

• Prabhakar Jha, Chief Operating Officer

FAST India suits people interested in science policy, research systems and public engagement with science. The work spans policy research, data analysis, working with government and institutions, and running large public events. Staff get exposure to national R&D policy debates, leading research institutions, industry and the science communication community. It is a good fit for researchers, policy analysts, programme managers and communicators who want to shape how science and technology are funded and used in India.