A nationwide outreach, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, spanning 29 institutions across 15 cities and 7 states to advance integrity, inclusivity, and innovation in research
The India Research Tour 2025, one of the country’s most ambitious and influential research outreach initiatives, was formally flagged off today at the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) in New Delhi. Now in its third year, the tour is organised by Springer Nature in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Government of India. This year’s tour will focus on a wide range of important topics including awareness and advancement of Open Access and Open Science, strengthening research integrity, encouraging e-book adoption, supporting editorial board member recruitment, and promoting diversity and inclusion in research.
This initiative has engaged thousands of researchers, academicians, and thought leaders over the past two years and has now become a powerful platform to nurture a culture of integrity, inclusivity, and innovation within India’s research environment. The publisher has covered 36 institutions across 25 cities and 15 states thus far in the past two years and has recognised over 200 women researchers at these institutes for their contributions to multidisciplinary research.
Speaking at the flag off event, Smt. Savitri Thakur, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, said:
“The India Research Tour is a vital platform for connecting with researchers across the country. It provides a unique platform to support women in research, strengthen ethics in scholarship, and ensure equitable access to opportunities and resources. Empowering women researchers and scholars is central to building an inclusive knowledge economy. By focusing on democratising access to knowledge, promoting ethical research practices, and empowering the next generation of scholars, this initiative is contributing directly to the vision of Viksit Bharat.”
Frank Vrancken Peeters, CEO, Springer Nature, added:
“We are proud to be part of progress by supporting researchers, helping them in sharing their discoveries and accelerating solutions to the world’s urgent challenges. The India Research Tour 2025 reflects our long-term commitment to India’s research ecosystem – building bridges between global best practices and local talent. Through our partnership with the Ministry of Education and ICSSR, we aim to empower researchers, foster collaboration, and accelerate India’s leadership in global science and scholarship.”
Prof. Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary, ICSSR, said:
“The India Research Tour is a significant initiative to connect social science researchers across the country, enabling dialogue and collaboration across disciplines. By engaging with institutions from diverse regions, particularly in the Eastern and North-Eastern states of India, we aim to strengthen research capacity, uphold high standards of research integrity, and support evidence-based policymaking that benefits society at large.”
Additionally, Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, Managing Director, Springer Nature India, said:
“Over the past two years, the India Research Tour has become a movement that is shaping how researchers engage with knowledge, ethics, and accessibility. In 2025, we are deepening our commitment to India’s diverse and growing research community by focusing on Open Access, ONOS, and inclusivity. This tour is about building a future-ready research ecosystem that leaves no one behind.”
This year, the tour will visit leading institutions covering diverse disciplines including engineering, medical sciences, and management in the east and northeast region of India. Key stops include IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, Maulana Azad Medical College (New Delhi), IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Bodh Gaya.
The pillars of India Research Tour 2025 include:
- Promoting Open Access (OA) and advancing awareness of One Nation, One Subscription (ONOS).
- Driving discussions on Research Integrity and the role of Artificial Intelligence in publishing.
- Highlighting diversity and inclusion through initiatives such as Her Research, Our Future.
- Supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by democratizing knowledge and strengthening accessibility.