Key facts
- Japan's Lotus Programme is experiencing a significant increase in Indian researcher participation.
- An estimated 1,000 fellowship candidates are expected for fiscal 2026, a 20x rise from two years ago.
- The program aims to foster international scientific collaboration between Japan and India.
- The AI-ENGAGE initiative, a collaboration between Japan, the US, Australia, and India, focuses on AI applications in agriculture.
- AI-ENGAGE seeks to advance innovation in agriculture through emerging technologies like AI and robotics.
Japan is seeing a significant increase in young Indian researchers applying for its Lotus Programme, with an estimated 1,000 fellowship candidates expected for fiscal 2026. This marks a twentyfold rise from two years prior, highlighting a growing collaboration between the two nations in scientific research, particularly in fields like AI and chemistry.
The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) manages the Lotus Programme, which supports Indian researchers staying in Japan. This initiative is part of a broader effort to build international scientific networks.
Additionally, the AI-ENGAGE program, a joint effort by Japan, the United States, Australia, and India, is fostering international collaborative research. This program, coordinated by the NSF, focuses on advancing innovations in agriculture through emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, sensing, and communications. The call for proposals for AI-ENGAGE has closed, with awarded projects announced in December 2026.