India, Sept. 8 -- India needs a new compact for government-owned labs

India has no shortage of scientific labs. What we do lack is the will - and the design - to make them work. Across the country's universities and research institutions, advanced equipment worth crores are gathering dust. These are not outdated. They are simply forgotten - locked away by legacy systems that never imagined shared access, operator support, or accreditation pathways.

The irony is stark. As our young researchers scramble for access and start-ups burn capital at private labs, public investment lies idle. It's a structural paralysis.

Each non-functional lab is more than a missed opportunity. It's a block in the artery of national innovation. Instruments fal...