DST Centre for Policy Research - IISc Bangalore

What DST Centre for Policy Research - IISc Bangalore does

DST Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR) is a non-profit academic research centre hosted at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, established in August 2014 with primary funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Its stated mandate is to study policies and mechanisms that can increase the research impact of Indian institutions and improve their global rankings, and to critically examine the efficacy of different research funding mechanisms. The centre conducts work across five focus areas: Scientometrics (quantitative evaluation of Indian institutional research performance across disciplines such as chemistry, engineering, materials, astrophysics, mathematics, biological sciences, and physics); STI Indicators and R&D Statistics (developing indicators and adapting OECD Frascati Manual standards to developing country contexts); Meta Science (open science, responsible research assessment, research ethics); Higher Education (doctoral education quality); Sectoral Research and Innovation / Responsible Research and Innovation (including biosecurity, rare diseases, biofuel innovation ecosystems); and Science Diplomacy (STI's role in India's foreign policy, including quantum, AI, and biotechnology). Deliverables include research articles, working papers, policy briefs, reports, and book chapters distributed freely, plus the OSSAN Conference, the ITEC Programme on STI Policy for international participants from 160+ countries, and a curated online Resource Directory of tools and publications.

The centre's business model is that of a publicly funded policy research institute rather than a commercial enterprise. It has no pricing model and does not charge for outputs; revenue is sourced from DST core funding, IISc institutional support, and project-based grants from international bodies (DORA, Code for Science & Society, Open Research Funders Group, and similar). Distribution occurs through free publication, open events, and training programmes. The team is small — approximately six core staff including a Coordinator (Prof. T.A. Abinandanan), Senior Research Consultant, Research Associates, Project Scientists, and a distributed network of DST-STI Policy Fellows posted across Indian universities, supplemented by visiting scholars such as Prof. Maresi Nerad (University of Washington). Active MoUs and collaborations with NITI Aayog, NIAS, UNESCO UIS, OECD, NSF, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Sussex, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, Clarivate Analytics, and a multi-institution Doctoral Education consortium provide the centre with its network reach and policy influence.

Name

DST Centre for Policy Research - IISc Bangalore

Legal name

DST Centre for Policy Research

Website

https://dstcpriisc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DST Centre for Policy Research is a non-profit academic research centre at IISc Bangalore, established in 2014 and funded by India's Department of Science and Technology. It conducts scientometric analysis, STI indicators development, and policy research on open science, science diplomacy, and higher education for Indian government and international partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• Science policy research
• Scientometric analysis
• Research evaluation services
• Innovation policy advisory
• STI indicators development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (DST Support): Primary funding from Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Established in August 2014 with DST support for studying STI policies and research impact.
2. Host Institution Support (IISc): Institutional support from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore including office space, administrative support, and access to university infrastructure.
3. Project-Based Grants: Funding from international organizations and programs including DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment), Code for Science & Society, Open Research Funders Group, and various collaborative research grants.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The DST Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR) is an academic research centre at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, that conducts research, analysis, and capacity-building programs on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy. Its core activities include scientometric evaluation of research performance of Indian institutions, development of STI indicators and R&D statistics, studies on science diplomacy and responsible research and innovation, and higher education research. The centre also runs training programs such as the ITEC Programme on STI Policy for international participants and disseminates findings through publications, policy briefs, workshops, and an online resource directory.

Product overview

DST Centre for Policy Research at IISc Bangalore is a research center established in August 2014 that operates as a policy research institute rather than a commercial product company. The center provides research services and programs focused on science, technology, and innovation policy analysis, including: Scientometrics Research Services for evaluating research performance of Indian institutions; Science Diplomacy Research examining STI's role in foreign policy; Responsible Research and Innovation studies; Higher Education Research on doctoral education; Meta Science (science of science) studies covering open science and research assessment; a Resource Directory of curated publications and tools; and the ITEC Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy as an international training offering. These research programs and services form the center's portfolio, with the Resource Directory serving as a knowledge repository that organizes tools and publications for the STI policy research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scientometrics Research Services Quantitative analysis and evaluation of scientific research performance, including citation analysis, research output assessment, and institutional benchmarking across scientific disciplines such as chemistry, engineering, materials, astrophysics, mathematics, biological sciences, and physics. Target users are government policy bodies, academic institutions, and research organizations.
• Science Diplomacy Research Studies on the role of Science, Technology, and Innovation in India's foreign policy agenda, examining relationships between India's STI capabilities and foreign policy goals, with focus on emerging technologies including Quantum Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, and Biotechnology.
• Responsible Research and Innovation Studies Research on socially responsible innovation addressing environmental and societal effects, including projects on agricultural system vulnerabilities, bio-based economy transitions, and biofuel innovation ecosystem studies.
• Higher Education Research Scientometric studies of Indian institutional research productivity and studies on doctoral education quality and training assessment for both academic and non-academic career preparation.
• Meta Science Research Systematic study of scientific practices focused on improving quality, transparency, and efficiency of research, including open science advocacy, responsible research assessment, research ethics and integrity, and analysis of university ranking implications.
• Resource Directory
• ITEC Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed methodology for studying research performance of Indian institutions in chemistry, engineering, materials, astrophysics, mathematics, biological sciences, and physics
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and regional.

• NITI AayogcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive MoU for collaborative policy research and knowledge sharing in science, technology, and innovation policy areas.
• National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), BengalurucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive MoU for joint workshops and research collaboration including the 3-day intensive workshop on STI Policy Research (WSTIPR-2017).
• UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on R&D statistics methodology and adapting international standards (Frascati Manual) to developing country contexts.
• National Science Foundation (NSF), Science and Engineering Indicators UnitmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking relationship on science indicators and research evaluation methodologies.
• University of Sussex, UKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on STI policy research and joint workshop on transformative change in STI policy.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, GermanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under Institute of Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis for policy research.
• UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University, NetherlandsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on science, technology, and innovation policy.
• OECDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on STI indicators, R&D statistics, and international policy frameworks.
• PSA Office (Government of India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration on national policy for preprints and postprints, Open Access promotion, and STI policy matters.
• SPARC, Washington DCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking relationship on international collaboration programs.
• Clarivate AnalyticsmajorTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration to improve InCites platform addressing data discrepancies, journal quartile distribution, and proper classification of Indian institutions.
• Centre for Society & Policy, IISccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint events including panel discussions on open innovation and book launches.
• Manipal Academy of Higher EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-institution collaboration on Doctoral Education project with investigators from the institution.
• Jindal Global UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-institution collaboration on Doctoral Education project with investigators from the institution.
• IIM-AhmedabadmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-institution collaboration on Doctoral Education project with investigators from the institution.
• FLAME UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-institution collaboration on Doctoral Education project with investigators from the institution.
• University of WashingtonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading role in multi-institution Doctoral Education project with Prof. Maresi Nerad as visiting professor at DST-CPR.
• Indian National Young Academy of Science (INYAS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on open science initiatives including peer-reviewed preprints project under IAP.
• NASTEC Sri LankaregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint workshop on scientometrics with NASTEC Sri Lanka and OSSAN.
• Swissnex BangaloreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRound table discussions and collaboration on science diplomacy activities.
• Danish Embassy (Trade and Innovation Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRound table discussions on innovation and research collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER): India-based policy think tank producing research on economic policy, regulation, and innovation; comparable as a government-influenced, evidence-based policy research centre with international orientation.
• SPRU — Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex: Long-standing global centre for research on science, technology and innovation policy; direct collaborator with DST-CPR and the originator of much of the academic STI policy field in which the Centre operates.
• Centre for Policy Research (CPR): One of India's leading think tanks on public policy and governance; comparable as an India-based, government-engaged policy research outfit producing briefs and reports that inform national policymaking.
• Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS): New Delhi-based autonomous policy research institute under the Ministry of External Affairs, focused on international economic issues, trade, and STI policy from a developing-country perspective.
• UNU-MERIT (United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology): United Nations research and training centre focused on innovation, STI policy, and research systems; collaborating partner of DST-CPR and a leading producer of comparable STI indicators and policy frameworks.
• National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS): Indian interdisciplinary research institute based in Bengaluru with active MoU with DST-CPR; conducts policy-oriented research in science, technology, security, and society with similar academic and government linkages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DSTCPRIISc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAbDuyvks1W1x_jkwI3ef0g/videos?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/DSTCPRIISc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dst-centre-for-policy-research---iisc-bangalore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DST Centre for Policy Research - IISc Bangalore