CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR), New Delhi, and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, signed a memorandum of understanding on 25 May 2026 to strengthen collaboration in science communication and science and technology policy research. The agreement aims to promote joint research projects, exchange of faculty and research scholars, organise joint events and design capacity-building programmes. The institutions intend the partnership to boost public engagement with science and to develop research-informed communication strategies suitable for diverse Indian audiences.\n\nThe directors of both institutions outlined priorities at the signing ceremony, emphasising the importance of institutional collaboration to strengthen science communication and joint capacity building. The director of NIAS welcomed the initiative as a means to consolidate expertise and institutional resources while the director of NIScPR stressed inclusive communication, tailoring content for target audiences and the use of modern technologies to foster engagement. The latter also highlighted the ethical use of artificial intelligence in communication in Indian languages.\n\nA brainstorming discussion on inclusive science communication in the digital era followed the ceremony, bringing together faculty and researchers to identify gaps, priorities and policy needs. Participants from NIAS and NIScPR, together with representatives from Gubbi Labs and IISc, outlined the need for science communication policies adapted to the Indian context and for training programmes for communicators and journalists. They also drew attention to challenges in managing misinformation and the need to build trust in science through sustained public engagement.\n\nMajor recommendations from the meeting included encouraging trust in science, popularising citizen science and strengthening science communication in schools while developing effective guidelines for practice. The group urged promotion of interaction between scientists, policy makers and communicators and recommended building a larger community of public intellectuals to support evidence-informed discourse. The institutions plan to pursue joint initiatives, capacity-building and research collaborations to implement these priorities.