IGSTC supports its “2+2 Project” scheme to catalyse innovation-centric R&D projects by synergising the strength of research/academic institute and public/private industry from India and Germany. The 2+2 Project invites Call for proposals each year aiming to support joint R&D&I projects of industrial relevance by means of “2+2 partnership”. IGSTC denotes “Call” by the year in which applications have been invited. The project proposal should be at least at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and shall reach TRL 6 or beyond at the end of the project duration. The project proposal is expected to produce insight and exploitable research results leading to new technologies, products and/or services.
All Calls are based on thematic areas, mutually relevant and decided by both the countries (particularly DST and BMFTR) and thematic areas are furthermore classified in the subtopics. The duration of IGSTC 2+2 projects will be three years with possible no-cost extension up to one year.
The 2+2 projects are intended to create a platform where innovative research will be conducted, which addresses industry and market requirements in the theme of the Call. The outcomes (products/models/services/prototypes) are desired to solve a specific techno-scientific issue, which can resolve existing problems or open up new avenues taking forward the same. Innovations will attract investments only when they solve critical and/or urgent problems, which are implementable, so that users may benefit from shifting from current to innovative solutions. Thus, the focus is on identifying right gap areas and inventing cost-effective solutions for them.
The 2+2 mode of partnership requires the involvement of at least one research/academic institution and one industry from India and Germany. Therefore, total 4 partners are essential to apply in 2+2 projects. It is however; the maximum 6 partners (3 partners from each country) can be allowed in a project. All the project partners collectively be referred as “Consortium”. All partners should indicate their respective contribution in the project proposal. It is expected that all partners should contribute substantially to and benefit from an equitable and balanced cooperation with adequate protection of intellectual property rights used in and generated during the joint efforts. The consortium needs to identify one of the project partners as “Coordinator” who shall be the primary responsible person to submit the proposal.
IGSTC invites First Stage Proposals for joint R&D&I projects of industrial relevance in 2+2 Mode of Partnership in the thematic area “Economic and Sustainable Solutions” with the following subtopics:
Mobile health & Telemedicine:
Modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have revolutionized various aspects of our lives, including the healthcare sector and the delivery of patient care. Mobile Health (mHealth) and telemedicine leverage mobile devices and wireless technologies to improve health outcomes and make healthcare services more accessible and cost-effective. These technologies are primarily employed for patient monitoring, health awareness, decision support, emergency management, and disaster response, among other applications. The benefits of telemedicine include cost-effectiveness, the ability to expand higher-order services, and the potential to alleviate future medical doctor shortages.
Research in this field encompasses a wide range of topics, such as ensuring the secure handling of patient data, developing or refining wearable devices and sensors, enhancing care for first responders, and creating new applications for patient treatment and monitoring—both before and after care. It also includes the use of AI-based diagnostics to support local healthcare providers and AI models designed for the early detection of large-scale health threats. Further research is ongoing to improve the trustworthiness of telemedicine-related outcomes.
IGSTC calls for proposals under the 2+2 grant scheme, to develop innovative products and processes, which focus on, but are not limited to, enacting and updating technology infrastructure and effective data-based decision making techniques, which can promote timely health care services in situations of inaccessibility, to alleviate physical and mental distress. Proposals should demonstrate the ability to develop cost-effective solutions, prioritizing practical application and commercial scalability.
Integrated Water Resource Management:
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), refers to the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources with the aim of maximizing economic and social welfare in an equitable manner, while safeguarding the sustainability of essential ecosystems. At its core, IWRM recognizes the interdependence of the many competing uses of finite water resources. Its effective implementation not only protects the global environment but also supports economic growth, sustainable agricultural development, democratic governance, and improved public health.
IGSTC calls for proposals under the 2+2 grant scheme to advance technological solutions that contribute to the more sustainable use of water resources, through development of technological innovations that facilitate novels methods of cross-sector water resource management in agricultural, industrial, or domestic contexts, especially in view of effects of rapid urbanization, climate variability, population growth, and industrial expansion. Innovations may focus on, but not be limited to, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics (BDA), smart sensors, and cyber-physical systems for enhanced monitoring, forecasting, and decision-making capabilities in water systems
Applicants should clearly explain and demonstrate how their proposed technologies integrate into the broader IWRM framework. Interdisciplinary consortia, particularly those involving social scientists, are strongly encouraged. Proposed technologies should be designed with cost-effectiveness and scalability in mind to enhance their potential for practical application and market viability.
The 2+2 projects are expected to be conceptualized and implemented by a team of academic and industrial partners from India and Germany, jointly addressing industry-driven challenges by combining their complementary expertise to deliver market-ready solutions. Partners with awareness of the range of skills, each bring to the table, would be in an advantageous position to form a consortium optimized for the project.
Project Partners:
There should be at least one academic partner and one industry partner from both the countries which ensures “2+2” configuration. A maximum of six partners are eligible in one project with equal number of partners from both sides (India and Germany). All the partners are collectively called the Consortium in the project. Following are the eligibility criteria for the project partners:
| Project Partners | Eligibility Norms |
|---|---|
| Indian Academic Partner |
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| Indian Industry Partner |
Company registered under Indian Companies Act 2013 or registered Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) under LLP Act 2008 or registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises under MSME Act, 2006 subject to fulfilment of following conditions:
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| German Academic Partner |
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| German Industry Partner |
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Affiliation of Consortium Members:
All the applicants should be affiliated to and hold positions in their respective organizations with a valid work authorization/contract for the expected duration of the project. Those PIs who are already having an ongoing 2+2 project with IGSTC (on the Call deadline) are not eligible to apply. One PI cannot have two projects at the same time.
Changes in Consortium members:
Members, who are agreeing to form a Consortium to submit a project proposal, should be aware that in case of a positive outcome, the Consortium as a whole is selected and is responsible for the execution of the Project. From the point of submission of the first stage proposal, the consortium shall remain unchanged throughout all subsequent stages of the project. Any alteration to the composition of the consortium may result in complete re-evaluation/termination.
Role in Multiple Proposals:
Complementary funding:
Organizations, which has received funding from other grant organizations, industries, VCs, etc. for an activity in a similar alignment, can apply for the grant, if they explicitly describe the relationship between the project applied for and the already funded activities in the application and clearly differentiate between the two.
Funding under a 2+2 project is in the form of Grant-in-aid to both Indian and German Project Partners. The maximum funding to German partners is amounting to Euro 500.000 and Indian partners limited to Rs. 350 lakhs per project for a period of three years. The release of the grant to the project consortium shall be made as per the mandate time to time. The financial support for the Indian partnering organisations shall be remitted yearly as per the approved budget for the project against agreed timeline and milestone. The unspent grant, if any during the project tenure shall be allowed to be carried forward for utilization from one year to another.
Assets acquired wholly or substantially by Indian partnering organisations out of the IGSTC grant, shall be maintained and utilized for related scientific activities by the PI and by others within the Organization for the term of its life. The Assets shall not be used for unethical purposes and shall be disposed of, only with prior intimation to IGSTC. Estimates toward travel will be included in the Budget of each person (not collaborator).
The financial support to the Project Partners has been fixed as given below:
Indian Project Partners:
German Project Partners:
Financial requirements for the proposed project may be submitted as per the following:
| Sl. No. | Eligible Heads | Indian Partners | German Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manpower | Costs for hiring personnel involved in the project. However, the Project partner is restricted to draw salary/fellowship/honorarium etc. out of IGSTC grant. | |
| 2 | Equipment & Accessories (Preferably not exceeding 25% of the total grant requested from IGSTC) | Specific equipment/ demonstration unit/pilot plant including software licensing for the project (equipment that is not part of the applicant’s basic/minor equipment). | |
| 3 | Consumables / Materials | Cost of materials, chemicals etc. for the project. | |
| 4 | Travel, Hospitality & Networking Events* (Preferably not exceeding 15% of the total grant requested from IGSTC for Indian partners) |
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| 5 | Outsourcing / Subcontract | Depending upon requirements with justification aligned with the project. | |
| 6 | Overheads | 10% of the eligible cost excluding the cost of equipment. Indian industry partner is not eligible for overhead cost. The payment of overhead depends upon the yearly Grant released on settlement of SE/UC. | In accordance with German funding procedures, cost-based proposals will be able to ask for overheads, whereas the German universities and university hospitals are eligible for 20% “Projektpauschale” in case it is a non-profit research project. |
| 7 | Contingency | 5% of the eligible cost excluding the cost of equipment & overheads. | |
| 8 | Patent filing | The expenses/costs required to obtain and validate patents and other industrial property rights during the term of the project are generally eligible for funding | |
| *Economy class airfare at shortest possible route for domestic and international flights/trains. The limit for international travel (India and Germany only) for Indian partners is INR 1,20,000/- and for German partners, the limit is EURO 1500 which includes airfare, visa charges, medical/travel insurance. Cancellation and rescheduling are not permitted without prior approval from IGSTC. | |||
IGSTC receives project proposals under 2+2 Call in online mode only using designated portal. It is however, IGSTC reserves the right to ask to provide the proposal in any other mode deemed appropriate. The “Coordinator” has to register first in the portal and may add other partners to form the consortium.
To apply, kindly do the following:
Go to the applicant portal, register yourself and choose your programme
The last date of submission of 1st stage Proposal is 31 May 2026 / 13.00 PM CET. The proposal received after the deadline shall not be considered. No legal claims can be derived from the submission of a proposal. Incomplete proposal in any manner shall be considered ineligible.
IGSTC will execute a two-step evaluation process through the committee constituted by both the Government. Initially, the First Stage Proposals will undergo an eligibility check as per IGSTC norms.
The 1st stage proposals will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee (SC). The proposals recommended by SC will be invited to submit 2nd stage proposal in expanded format, followed by oral presentations. Based on the submitted techno-commercial proposal and the presentation the SC will carry out final evaluations.
The criteria for the committee to assess the proposal are as follows:
IGSTC awards up to 7 projects under a Call across all sub themes