The Modi Government Wants To Reverse India's Brain Drain

For decades, India's relationship with some of its brightest minds was a one-way script, one that is reminiscent of a scene from the 1990 Oscar winner (best foreign film) 'Cinema Paradiso' - where the protagonist, as a young boy, is told by his mentor: "Don't come back. Don't think about us. Don't look back. Don't write. Don't give in to nostalgia. Forget us all." 

Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's journeys are classic examples that mirror a brain drain trend that's been in place since what seems like forever. Pichai left India immediately after completing his metallurgical engineering degree at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in 1993 for further studies at Stanford on a scholarship and never looked back. Nadella too left India for the United States in 1988 immediately after completing his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the Manipal Institute of Technology to pursue graduate studies. Most of us have examples within our own families - where the brightest minds left for greener pastures never to look back.

In an attempt to reverse this brain drain that has plagued India for long the Narendra Modi government is making a concentrated effort. The Central government is inviting talented researchers, scientists, technologists, and professionals of Indian origin - who are conducting research in the world's large and prestigious universities, laboratories, and research institutions - to collaborate and conduct research with key government Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), national laboratories, and research centers in India.

Under this special initiative, the Ministry of Education has invited applications for the Prime Minister Research Chair Scheme 2026, under which 13 priority sectors have been identified: Advanced Computing (Supercomputing, AI and Quantum Computing), Semiconductors, Energy, Sustainability and Climate Change, Cyber Security, Healthcare and Medical Technology, Biotechnology, Advanced Materials and Critical Minerals, Space and Defence, Next-Generation Communications, Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, Agriculture and Food Technology, Blue Economy, and Nuclear Energy.

Serial entrepreneur and investor Dr Ritesh Malik told NDTV: "The 13 chosen areas like semiconductors, quantum, AI, critical minerals, defence and biotech are exactly the fields where India needs to become self-reliant. And keeping it under the Principal Scientific Adviser, with seven strong institutions and a three level fellowship system, tells me this is built on merit and made to last." 

"This is the kind of big, nation-first ambition we have been waiting for, and it can build real long-term strength in our science, not just big name appointments," said Malik, who founded co-working startup Innov8 which was acquired by OYO in 2019. 

According to a Careers 360 research report released earlier this year, India's top Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) rank-holders show that a significant majority - up to 74% between 1990 and 2020 and 90% for the 2011-2020 cohort - have settled abroad for work in technology and academia. The report also showed that more than half of JEE All India toppers now live in the United States. Niti Aayog, the public policy think tank of the government in its 2025 report, 'Internationalisation of Higher Education in India,' noted that outbound students outnumbered inbound students by 25 times, describing it as "a serious imbalance". "If not addressed, the continued outflow of talent will hinder India's ability to fully leverage its demographic dividend," the report noted. The Modi government's intent is now to set things right in this regard with this latest initiative. However, implementation will remain key.

To anchor the programme, the government has identified seven institutions that will serve as lead centres for implementation: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad), Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad [IIT (ISM) Dhanbad], and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru (IISc Bengaluru).

The programme operates on a Rs 200 crore total budget over 5 years (2026-27 to 2030-31). The packages are structured across three hierarchical categories to cover fellowships, research grants, relocation costs, and institutional overheads. Young Research Fellows (YRF) can get up to Rs 4 crore in total support, Senior Research Fellows (SRF) up to Rs 6.5 crore in total support and Research Chairs (RC) can get up to Rs 14 crore in total support.

Step In The Right Direction, But Concerns Remain

IIT-IIM alum and NoBroker co-founder Saurabh Garg while lauding the initiative and calling the move a step in the right direction, had a note of caution. "The impact will ultimately depend on how the initiative evolves and scales over time. But at a broader level, the part that really matters is what a returning researcher gets on pay, lab access and freedom to work, compared to what they're giving up abroad. That's what will determine how attractive India becomes as a destination for global scientific talent."

Dr Romik Ghosh, a veteran in clinical research who recently moved to Singapore after two decades of working at some of the world's top pharma companies out of India said that while the move may indeed be a catalyst for reverse brain drain, there could be challenges around "lower pay, poor quality of life in Indian cities, lack of campus infrastructure."

Ganesh Kashyap, Landis+Gyr India and Global Development Centre CEO, who came back to work out of India after three decades in the US had a similar concern: "The people already outside of India would expect certain comforts of life. Outside of major metros, and certain Tier 2 cities, this could be a challenge. The key is how fast can GOI (Government of India) in collaboration with state governments enable the comfort of life framework."

Beyond the government, as a country India needs to show more discipline in order to woo people back, Kashyap noted. "The other major challenge is outside of the government, it's more of the people's mindset. As a country, we have to move up the ladder on the civic senses and public discipline. For most people returning back to India, this could be a dealbreaker."

Malik, too, highlighted the importance of removing the everyday bottlenecks that one often faces in India. "The reason our scientists abroad hesitate to engage has rarely been lack of love for the country, it is the everyday struggles like grant delays, slow procurement and weak research support. If we fix these execution issues, this scheme can become a turning point for Indian science," he said.

IIT grad and healthtech startup Clinikk co-founder Bhavjyot Kaur said while this be an opportunity for senior academia to do meaningful global impact work together, it's important for India to feed the ambition of the talent that would be coming. "Stong infra structure support will remain key. If they come back to bureaucracy and horrible processes, this will be just another scheme with good intent but failed implementation," she said.

The Geopolitical Advantage

While overall Indian student enrollment abroad has been high, recent data indicates a decline in new outbound travellers in post-pandemic years due to stricter visa regulations and higher costs. Government data shows a 31% decline in Indian students going abroad over a two-year period, with numbers dropping from 9.08 lakh in 2023 to 6.26 lakh in 2025. This downturn is driven by strict visa regulations and rising costs in key destinations like Canada, Australia, the UK, and the US.

"Given the US and EU are facing economic challenges, job uncertainties due to AI, wave of nationalism and anti-immigration movements, this will be a catalyst for reverse brain drain," Ghosh said.

NoBroker's Garg agrees with Ghosh: "Given the geopolitical shifts taking place across the world, this could provide a strong platform for scientific talent to consider returning to India and contribute to its growing research ecosystem."

However, HR veteran Praneet Halder, while noting that government intent is good, had a note of caution: "The selection of topics looks more driven by current geopolitical considerations rather than long term planning. Now that we have started, it should be made sure that only the best are selected and given resources and freedom to carry actual research while keeping bureaucracies and academic politics at bay. Otherwise it will remain a case of ticking the box and being too little too late."