The Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) Web Portal was launched and dedicated to the nation by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi, on January 3, 2020 during the 107th Indian Science Congress 2020 at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.

With an approval by the Union Cabinet in Feb 2020, the Office of PSA has constituted an Empowered Technology Group (ETG) with the Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India as its Chair. This Empowered Group is mandated to serve as “an institutionalized structure to proactively lay down, coordinate and oversee national-level policies relating to procurement and induction, and Research and Development (R&D) in technologies that require large outlays in resources, both financial and human, and to render sound and timely advice for determining direction and trajectory of the Government's R&D and Technology Development Programmes”. One of the key objectives of the ETG is to maintain an updated map of technology and technology products available and/or being developed across India. In view of this, a digital catalogue has been developed under the Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) and is hosted on the I-STEM national web portal (www.istem.gov.in/digitalcatalogue).

Benefits to the Nation: Researchers from industry or academia from anywhere may access the digital catalogue easily and get updated information quickly. This brings them together to start collaborative projects with one another on various domestic needs and help Bharat (India) to achieve “Aatmnirbharta (Self Reliance)”. The digital catalogue of the various technologies and products developed in different institutions/organisations, and its connectivity with the I-STEM national web-portal, will provide opportunities to young researchers, start-ups, and even established industries to make use of the information about technologies.