Tata Steel, UK Government and Royal Academy of Engineering partner to advance UK–India innovation in circular materials. Why it matters?

Alongside this, UK-India policy missions will exchange knowledge and generate market intelligence in circularity and resilient supply chains of critical materials and minerals.

These activities build on previous collaboration with the Indian Government’s Department of Science and Technology and the Indian National Academy of Engineering.

As both the UK and India seek to reduce their carbon emissions and broader environmental impacts while meeting growing demand for infrastructure, innovation in circular materials will play a vital role in creating more resource-efficient and resilient economies.

The partnership is supported by almost £1.9 million from the UK Government, matched by £1 million from Tata Steel, bringing critical industrial expertise to the programme.

Winning projects will also receive funding equivalent to at least half the value of their grant. This dynamic funding model will allow teams that are already on the precipice of advancing their technology to invest and scale their project through industrial input and access to new expertise.

Subodh Pandey, Vice President - Technology, R&D, NMB and Graphene, Tata Steel, said, “The future of Tata Steel will be shaped by our capability to innovate and proliferate circular and sustainable materials, which is why we are delighted to be part of this critical partnership. The support by the UK Government, and partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, not only presents an opportunity to move promising research towards real industrial application, which we can all benefit from, but also to build lasting and meaningful relationships so we can continue to accelerate the development and adoption of lower-carbon, more circular approaches to construction and manufacturing.”

Professor Ravi Silva CBE FREng, Director, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey and Chair of the Academy’s Transforming Systems through Partnership programme, said, “The Transforming Systems through Partnership programme supports the development and deployment of meaningful solutions that can be scaled and applied in the real world, underpinned by relationships that extend beyond individual projects. This partnership with Tata Steel embodies that ambition. By bringing together institutions and expertise from India and the UK, it will strengthen long-term collaboration and help meet growing infrastructure needs through the practical adoption of sustainable, circular and energy-efficient materials and processes. In doing so, it will contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by linking engineering innovation with more resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable systems.’

Delivered through the Academy’s already successful Transforming Systems through Partnership (TSP) programme, the partnership will support grant holders in both countries from April 2027 for three years.

This collaboration will build on the UK and India’s complementary research, innovation and industrial strengths. For more than a decade, TSP has enabled over 300 collaborative projects that connect universities and industry across the world, building a network of more than 800 awardees.

The partnership is expected to support up to 15 research and innovation grants, all between £100,000 and £150,000, with projects running for up to three years. Each of the projects will be co-led by a UK and Indian academic or research partner and provide a clear pathway towards industrial, entrepreneurial or wider practical impact.

In addition to funding, the support from Tata Steel will offer access to critical industrial insight and expertise, with mentorship from senior industry staff and access to laboratories and facilities. For those projects with commercial or spin-out potential, access to Tata Steel mentoring and incubation support will be provided. The precise support will depend on and be shaped by individual project need and focus.