Springer Nature launches third India Research Tour at ICSSR, Delhi

New Delhi: The India Research Tour 2025 was launched at the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) in New Delhi.

Organised by Springer Nature in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the tour will cover topics such as Open Access, research integrity, diversity, and inclusion, visiting leading institutions across eastern and northeastern India, including IITs and IIMs.

Over the past two years, the tour has reached thousands of researchers and institutions, helping to build a culture of integrity, inclusivity, and innovation in India’s research environment. So far, it has visited 36 institutions across 25 cities in 15 states and recognized more than 200 women researchers for their contributions.

Speaking at the launch, 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."

Frank Vrancken Peeters, CEO of Springer Nature, added: "The India Research Tour 2025 reflects our long-term commitment to India’s research ecosystem - building bridges between global best practices and local talent."

Prof. Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary, ICSSR, said: "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."

Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, Managing Director, Springer Nature India, said: "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’s tour will visit leading institutions in engineering, medical sciences, and management, especially in eastern and northeastern India, including IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, Maulana Azad Medical College (New Delhi), IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Bodh Gaya.

Key focus areas for the 2025 tour:

• Promoting Open Access and One Nation, One Subscription (ONOS).

• Discussing research integrity and the role of Artificial Intelligence in publishing.

• Encouraging diversity and inclusion through initiatives like “Her Research, Our Future.”

• Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals by improving access to knowledge.