When Swagata and Prasenjit Basu decided to leave the US for good, and come back to India and teach in IIT Powai, their relatives were happy and surprised. We have only heard of brain drain, but is brain gain truly happening?

In the recently concluded 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2017 in Bengaluru, PM Narendra Modi was quoted as saying, “There was once a discussion about brain drain. And I told people at that time: Are only foolish people left here? Today, I can say with a lot of confidence: The present government’s initiative has changed brain drain to brain gain.”

Yes, he isn’t very wrong. Many students, research scholars and assistants are coming back to work in their familiar set-up hoping to do something for their motherland. And what is getting them back?

“A flurry of fellowships and incentives (Ramanujan Fellowship) by the government has helped scientists relocate to India. If you give scientists a scope to work here,create opportunities, then they will consider the offer,” says Sayoni Das, a Research Scholar in UCL.

It is encouraging for many scholars to know that they are being wooed by the government, which is serious to give them the scope and the infrastructure to do good work here. “Funds are an issue here in India, but they are working towards serious research. The academia and the industry needs to work together for the progress to happen,” Tanushree Ganguly, Research Scholar.

“It is a great time to be in India. India is becoming a global research, design and development hub. More than 1,000 companies from around the world have set up their R&D centres in India. Over 2,00,000 scientists and engineers are working there, at least a fourth of whom have returned from overseas. It is a land of opportunities. It is a great time for start-ups, great innovation, so no stopping us,” concludes Sayantan Das, Founder of an IT start-up in Bangalore.