ICPS – the National Mission in the reckoning, striving to bring out the change rationally

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) is a comprehensive Mission aimed at complete convergence with all stakeholders by establishing strong linkages between academia, Industry, Government and International Organisations. The Mission works with all the concerned Ministries and Departments to identify their technology needs, develop solutions and technical support in CPS implementation. Department of Science & Technology (DST) has supported and implemented NM-ICPS at a total outlay of around Rs 3200 crore for five years.

Cyber-Physical System (CPS) combines digital and cyber elements with physical objects (like machines, autonomous vehicles) and data with communication, data collection & processing, computing, decision-making, and action. Cyber-Physical Systems allow organisations to take timely and optimal interventions and measures. CPS is an integrated system involving sensors, communication, actuators, control, interconnected computing networks and data analytics. Therefore, there is a need to create an integrated and overarching national platform to bring convergence among all stakeholders towards CPS technology development and practical implementations.

NM-ICPS Scope: The CPS, its associated streams and all other aspects of ICPS research in India is being coordinated under the umbrella of NM-ICPS with a broader scope of Translational Research, Technology Development, Human Resource Development, Start-up Development, and so on. The Mission institutes research through academic collaborations and fosters in-depth investigations to understand the processes and phenomena in operation, leading to the development of CPS applications. In partnership with several other national academic and research institutions of excellence, a dedicated group of scientists associated with industry would carry out major research programmes under directed research and extramural funding mechanisms to meet the requirements of Ministries/ Departments/ Industry. It establishes links with specialised institutions in the country and abroad to establish and strengthen advanced facilities for research. The ICPS also institutes workable research collaborations with international academic institutions to advance CPS and associated research in the country.

The Mission addresses the ever-increasing technological requirements of society and considers the international trends and roadmaps of leading countries for next-generation technologies. The mission implementation develops and brings forth the following S&T components:

• Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and associated technologies within reach in the country
• Adoption of CPS technologies to address India specific National / Regional issues
• Produce Next Generation skilled human resources in CPS
• Catalyse Translational Research
• Accelerate entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development in CPS
• Give impetus to advanced research in CPS, Technology development and higher education in Science, Technology and Engineering disciplines
• Place India at par with other developed countries and derive several direct and indirect benefits

Impact of National Mission: CPS technologies provide a cutting edge to a Nation's scientific, engineering, and innovative technological capabilities; support other missions of the government, provide industrial and economic competitiveness and have truly become a strategic resource. Volume, scale and complexity of emerging applications demand continued evolution of new technologies for the foreseeable future. The Mission acts as an engine of growth that aims to benefit national initiatives in health, education, energy, environment, agriculture, strategy-cum-security, industrial sectors, Industry 4.0, SMART Cities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and so on. CPS is an integrated system of upcoming technology, which is being taken up on a priority basis by countries in the race for development. CPS is aimed at bringing a paradigm shift in fundamental skillset requirements. The job opportunities will be enhanced through the Mission by imparting advanced skills and generating skilled human resources as per the requirement of the industry and society. As Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-up Ecosystem is an integral part of the proposed NM-ICPS, the start-ups will also create several technology-driven job opportunities in CPS and allied areas. Accordingly, it is estimated that about 40,000 jobs will be made in the short term and about 2,00,000 in the long term.

Benefits: The Mission feeds the Central Ministries, Departments, State Governments and the Industry to effectively use the CPS technologies in their projects and schemes to benefit society. Under the Mission, 15 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH), six Application Innovation Hubs (AIH) and four Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRP) have been established.

These Hubs & TTRPs are connected to Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State Governments in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organisations across the country in a hub and spoke model. A strategic approach involving the right mix of Academic, Industry and Government is proposed to be adopted. Potent Steering and Monitoring Mechanisms in the form of Mission Governing Board (MGB), Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee (IMCC), Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and other Sub-Committees will guide and monitor the Mission implementation. The Hubs & TTRPs have four focused areas along which the Mission implementation, namely (i) Technology Development; (ii) HRD & Skill Development; (iii) Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Start-ups Ecosystem Development; (iv) International Collaborations.

For more information related to NM-ICPS, visit https://nmicps.gov.in/ or write to md-nmicps-dst[at]gov[dot]in.