Cyber-Physical Systems

Key Highlights:

• The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) was approved in 2018 with an outlay of ₹3,660 crore for nine years.
• Implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the mission aims to advance indigenous Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) capabilities.
• It has established 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) and 4 Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRPs) across India.
• The mission supports the CHANAKYA Fellowship Programme and the BharatGen initiative for sovereign AI capabilities.
• As of August 2026, NM-ICPS has enabled 1,146 technologies, incubated 1,136 start-ups, and trained over 2.46 lakh professionals.

Detailed Insights:

• Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) integrate computing, communication, and physical processes, enabling intelligent, connected, and responsive machines.
• NM-ICPS connects academia, industry, government, and international organizations to foster R&D, product development, and start-up incubation in CPS.
• TIHs, established as Section 8 companies, focus on technology development, human resource development, innovation, and international collaborations.
• TTRPs are located at IIT Kanpur (Cybersecurity), IISc Bengaluru (Robotics and AI Systems), IIT (ISM) Dhanbad (Mining Technologies), and IIT Indore (Digital Healthcare).
• BharatGen, supported by NM-ICPS, develops sovereign AI tailored to Indian languages, including the Param-2 foundation model supporting 22 Scheduled Indian languages.
• Key applications include CharakDT (digital twin for healthcare), Agri-IoT Farm Management System, drones for mining, and 5G-Advanced ORAN Massive MIMO Radio Unit.
• Cybersecurity solutions like IT-OT Security Operations Centre and Crypto-Forensic Tools are developed by IHUB NTIHAC Foundation at IIT Kanpur.
• Mobility advancements include India's first proving ground for autonomous navigation by TiHAN Foundation and the iRASTE application for accident-prone locations.
• The mission contributes to a technology-driven, innovation-led, and self-reliant Viksit Bharat.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS): Systems that integrate computation, communication, and physical processes to sense, analyze, and respond intelligently to real-world conditions.
• Digital Twin: A live, virtual model of a physical object, process, or system, updated with real-time data to simulate and study its behavior.
• BharatGen: An initiative under NM-ICPS focused on developing indigenous, multilingual, and multimodal AI capabilities for Indian contexts.