What academia and industry need to solve together for India’s smart protein future
The triple-helix model—collaboration between government, academia, and industry—is often considered central to building a thriving ecosystem for innovation and technology. While channels for such collaborations exist, the rapidly evolving nature of academia and industry alike makes it essential to periodically reflect on how these relationships can be strengthened. On June 18, 2026, GFI India and CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) created one such platform through a panel discussion on Academic Research Ecosystem as a Driver of the Smart Protein Sector, held as part of the symposium on Talent Development for India’s Smart Protein Sector.
The 45-minute session brought together academic voices from CSIR-CFTRI and industry representatives from Evolved Foods, Phyx44, Devigere Biosolutions, and Vcrave Foods to explore how Indian academia can contribute to the growth and innovation in smart proteins.
Aligning academic strengths with industry realities
The discussion opened by examining what academia and industry expect from each other as collaborators, with academic stakeholders outlining where they can contribute most meaningfully and industry stakeholders sharing their vision of an ideal academic partner. Deep research on basic and applied sciences, conducting exploratory projects, and developing a pipeline of strong talent are the key strengths of academia. Industry representatives broadly agree, while also recognising several practical barriers to collaboration. These include difficulties in accessing relevant academic experts and technologies, cost considerations, and longer project timelines. Such barriers are especially significant for cash-strapped startups, who stand to benefit from such collaboration the most. Academia, in turn, calls for more opportunities to collaborate with industry, particularly in driving technologies through the TRL 4 to TRL 7 development phases. A clearer understanding of the strengths and constraints on both sides could help unlock collaboration opportunities and create a more streamlined innovation pipeline spanning TRL 1 through 7.
Developing a more responsive research ecosystem
The discussion then pivoted to the second theme: how can research priorities be aligned so that the technologies academia develops remain relevant to industry needs? Ingredient application development and product development, including formulation and reformulation for enhanced sensory aspects are critical areas for joint research. However, success will hinge on aligning expectations between collaborators and striking the right balance between timelines, costs, and freedom to operate. Academic stakeholders also emphasise the need for greater industry involvement in curriculum design so that students are exposed to the skills and areas of knowledge relevant to the evolving sector.
Given the need for multi-pronged interventions to ensure alignment, structured platforms and processes that could support strategic dialogue, help identify and align on key research priorities for the sector, and spark collaborations between academia and industry. Talent development will be crucial to connect academic capabilities more closely with the sector’s evolving needs.
Preparing talent for industry needs
Industry panellists identify curiosity, a drive for continuous learning and upskilling, and the ability to translate theoretical knowledge into action as important core skills for early-career talent. Academic stakeholders agree that building these competencies in students requires significant industry exposure during academic programmes. Internship-to-hire pathways in particular provide an opportunity for companies to evaluate students beyond conventional recruitment processes while preparing them to solve industry problems in a real-time environment.
Industry representatives recognise some practical constraints because meaningful internships usually need to extend for at least six months to provide sufficient learning and continuity and many startups—given limited funding—don’t have the capacity to support such paid internships or guarantee hiring. Workshops, masterclasses, and guest lectures are additional ways to expose students to current industry trends. Greater industry representation on Boards of Studies and joint academia-industry advisory boards can also help better align curricula and student research with industry needs.
What will stronger collaboration require?
Taken together, the panel’s discussion painted a clear picture: India’s smart protein sector cannot reach its full potential without a stronger, more intentional partnership between academia and industry. The building blocks for this partnership already exist—deep scientific expertise on one side, market and application know-how on the other—but realising their combined value will require deliberate effort. Structured platforms for ongoing dialogue, industry-aligned curriculum, and talent pipelines that give young professionals real, practical exposure will be essential to closing the gaps. As the smart protein sector continues to grow, sustained collaboration of this kind will be imperative to translating scientific capability into market-ready technologies, products, and talent.
