First MEA-CSIR Tech Familiarization Programme Held in Delhi

India opened a new channel for science diplomacy with the Global South on 14 October 2026, when the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ran the first edition of the MEA-CSIR Tech Familiarization Programme. The MEA side was represented by its New, Emerging and Strategic Technologies (NEST) Division, which framed the exercise jointly with CSIR.

Who took part

The gathering drew 33 Ambassadors and senior embassy officials who between them represented 29 countries. They were shown, at close quarters, what CSIR can do scientifically, the technologies it has built at home and the research facilities it runs. Two of the council's leading laboratories in New Delhi were opened for the visit: the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB).

What the diplomats saw at CSIR-CRRI

At the road research institute the delegation was taken through a driving simulator, a cyclic load test facility and a steel slag laboratory, along with a three-dimensional model of bio-binder technology and models of drones. The centrepiece was a live run of Ecofix, an instant pothole repair mix built around steel slag and meant for quick road upkeep. The demonstration was used to make a wider point: that waste thrown out by industry can be turned into a useful material, and that such home-grown answers are cheap, workable and kind to the environment.

Genomics at CSIR-IGIB

The second halt took the visitors into genome sequencing, biosafety, zebrafish research, biobanking and Good Manufacturing Practice facilities. The stop was meant to show how far India has come in genomics, biomedical research, precision healthcare and biotechnology, and where partner countries might train their own people or work jointly on health problems.

Who spoke

Dr Rama Swami Bansal, Head of the International S and T Affairs Directorate at CSIR, set out the council's capabilities, its existing foreign tie-ups and the ways it could work with Global South nations. Dr Sadre Alam, Joint Secretary in the MEA, explained how the programme came about and what it is meant to achieve. The two laboratory directors, Dr Chalumuri Ravi Sekhar of CSIR-CRRI and Dr Souvik Maiti of CSIR-IGIB, introduced their institutes' strengths in sustainable infrastructure and healthcare respectively.

The closing session

An interactive sitting ended the day, with the visiting envoys stating their own priorities and what they expect from CSIR in future. Talk turned to joint research, technology partnerships, exchange of knowledge, training and the reworking of Indian technologies to suit the particular needs of each partner country. By placing foreign diplomats inside working laboratories, the organisers hope to convert India's scientific strength into durable international partnerships rather than leave it at the level of statements.