In a bid to take the ASEAN-India Space & Technology cooperation to the next level, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) of India, in partnership with FICCI on Tuesday launched the ASEAN India Research Training Fellowship Scheme (AIRTF) and ASEAN India Innovation Platform (AIIP).

The ASEAN India Research Training Fellowship (AIRTF) scheme will support young researchers from ASEAN countries to work at any of the Indian research or academic institution.

The fellowship aims at capacity building of young researchers and strengthen the bonds between India and ASEAN member states. This fully-funded fellowship is for a period of six months. Under AIRTF, the ASEAN scholars will be able to nurture their research ideas under the guidance and mentorship of leading Indian scientists and academicians and benefit from access to advanced scientific facilities in premier educational institutes and research laboratories in India.

Fifty five R&D Institutions and 235 Indian scientists across 22 Indian states have been earmarked by Department of Science & Technology and FICCIfor providing the fellowship.

The ASEAN India Innovation Platform (AIIP) is a unique platform to support the young ASEAN researchers in collaborating with Indian scientists for developing innovative technologies. The platform aims at bringing the innovators and researchers from ASEAN countries together so as to mutually share their technology for better societal solutions.

Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST who launched the twin programmes, said that the Fellowship Scheme and Innovation Platform will facilitate sharing and learning of best practices for rapid progress based on the common strengths of India and ASEAN countries. He said that in order to forge and nurture life-long S&T bonds between the two regions, the ASEAN-India S&T Fund will support the participation of 50 school students and teachers in the upcoming Children's Science Congress.

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI said that the ongoing multi-faceted S&T cooperation between India and ASEAN will receive an impetus from AIRTF and AIIP as also boost commercialisation of collaborative technologies developed in the two regions.