India needs a new compact for Government-Owned Labs
India has no shortage of scientific labs. What we do lacked is the will – and the design – to make them work. Across the country’s universities and research institutions, advanced equipment what kinds are gathering dust. These are not outdated. They are Simply forgotten – Locked Away by Legacy Systems that Never Imagined Shared Access, Operator Support, ORDECREDTATION PATHWAYS.
The Irony is stark. As our young researchrs scramble for access and start-ups burn capital at private labs, public investment lies idle. It’s a structural paralysis.
Each Non-Functional Lab is more than a Missed Opportunity. It’s a block in the artery of national innovation. Instruments Fall out of Calibration, Test Results Lack Legal Validity, and Researchers Lose Precious Time. MSMES, Often Bootstrapped and Resource-Constrained, Face a Triple Blow: Limited Access, High Costs, and Questionable Credibility of Results. Many are forced to retest through international labs, bleeding time and money.
India’s Ambition in Medtech, Clean Energy, Semiconductor, and AI Hardware Cannot Afford this. These are sectors where time, compliance, and certification are everything. Without a trusted testing infrastructure, our Science remain unverterified, and our industry stays second in line.
We must stop Treating Labs as Departmental Property and Start Treating Them as National Infrastructure. The accredited cablest model (ACM) represents a bold shift, introducing two operational pathways aimed at revitalishing dormant, underuelized infrastructure and repurprepposing it for certification Public-facing use.
One model can be District HUBS for Shared Scientific Access, Where Equipment from Institutes in a District are pooled, repaired, and Hosted at a Central Hub – Staffed with Trained Personnel and Operathed Under Nabl or ISO Accreditation. These hubs can offer affordable testing-aas-a-service (taas) to msmes, start-ups, and academia.
Another model is revising labs in situInstruments Stayed Within Their Original Institutions but are restored through repairs, Maintenance Contracts, and Trained Operator Development. Access is offered to industry through structured agreements. This model suits niche or location-bound instruments.
Both models promote transparency, certified testing, and broader access. Crucially, they embed governance mechanisms to prevent misuse and ensure Continual operation.
The Private Sector must Stop Seeing Scientific Infrastructure Ass Someone Else’s Problem. Through the acM, companies can become co-infvestors in operational revival-Contributing to repairs, salaries, and management. In Return, they can receive guaranteeed access slots, data rights for compliance and intellectual property, and testing credibility. Governance is overseen by a joint equipment management board (Jamb), Comprising Institute Heads, Industry Partners, and Accredation Experts. Monthly Dashboards, Audit Trails, and Accountability Metrics Ensure Transparency. This is not privateization. It is intelligent co-ownership-Built on Mutual Benefit, Not Bureaucratic Control. India’s Global Position is Rapidly Aligning with its scientific capabilities. But credibility cannot be claimed – it must be demonstrated.
Under the ACM Framework, Test Results will carry legal and scientific weight and msmes can access high-end testing without building their own labs. Institutions in Tier II and Tier III Cities will become integral parts of India’s innovation grid. This is a governance fix. We don’t need new buildings – we need new operating models rooted in accreditation, access, and accountability.
With modest funding, India can kick off a focused 100-day pilot under the ACM by having 30+ Dormant Instruments Repaired and Certified. Taas offerings can be rolled out for start-ups and msmes. NABL Accredation will be initiated for revised facilitations even as real-time dashboards are deployed for performance tracking.
Within two years, such a pilot can become self-sustaining-Finished by Testing Revenues and Industry Co-Funding. More Importantly, it becomes the blueprint for nationwide replication. The potential gain is huge. If scled, over 500 idle instruments could return to productive use and 100+ Catalyst Center Cold Emerge Across access districts. Certified Testing Services of Up to 500 Crore Cold Be Unlocked Annually – A New Revenue Stream for Regional Institutions to Cover Maintenance, Operator Salaries, and Certification costs. This is about democratising science. By making certified testing infrastructure accessible nationwide, we remove postcode privatege from Innovation.
The accreditation catalyst model reawakens scientific sovereignty. It is not a plan for dependent on State Grants or Donor Largesse. It is a disciplined model for shared governance, measurable outcomes, and public value. Let us not allow another microscope to turn to rust. Let us instead turns it into a window – INTO India’s Scientific Future.
Harilal Bhaskar is COO and National Coordinator, Indian Science Technology and Engineering Facilites Map (I-Stem). The views expressed are personal
