US-India fund offers up to ₹1.5 crore grant for tech innovations in critical minerals, quantum technology

The United States–India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) will provide grant-in-aid support of up to Rs 1.5 crore for a period of up to 24 months to Indian and US academic institutions and enterprises that enter into formal bilateral partnerships to develop and commercialise transformative technologies and solutions in critical minerals and quantum technology.

The extended deadline for submission of project proposals to avail of the grant is August 31.

The call for proposals on “Building U.S.–India Partnerships to Drive Innovation in Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology” issued by USISTEF seeks to foster bilateral partnerships that accelerate the development and commercialization of transformative technologies and solutions with significant societal and economic impact in the areas of critical minerals & supply chain resilience and quantum technologies.

Both thematic areas are of strategic importance to India and the US. The call notes that critical minerals are essential for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies, semiconductor production, and resilient supply chains, making them fundamental to economic security and the global energy transition. It also underscores the importance of quantum technology, highlighting its potential to revolutionize computing, communications, sensing, and cybersecurity. Quantum technologies could create transformative opportunities across industries while strengthening technological leadership and national competitiveness. “By fostering bilateral collaboration in these domains, the United States and India aim to advance breakthrough innovations, build trusted technology ecosystems, and contribute to long-term economic growth and global resilience”, USISTEF says.

The key eligibility criteria requires the proposals to include at least one Indian and one U. S. partner for the complete duration of the proposed project. The primary partners from both sides must have significant and synergistic roles in the development and commercialization of technologies for the specific application outlined in the proposal. Additionally, at least one of the partners must be an entrepreneurial entity, preferably a small or medium-scale enterprise. Eligible teams may include any of the following combinations: incorporated companies including start-ups; or non-incorporated entities; or academic, governmental and non-governmental research institutions or their consortia.

Since the mandate of USISTEF is "Commercializing Technologies for Societal Impact", preference will be given to technologies demonstrating advanced levels of innovation, technologies having higher commercialization potential or technology readiness levels (TRL) and breakthrough technologies that address critical societal challenges.

Subsidiaries or spin-offs of one partner in the other country are not eligible to apply.