From India's first IITs to digital health: Seven decades of the India-UNDP partnership

In the 1950s, India was a young nation investing in its future. New institutions were taking shape, scientific research was expanding, and the country was building the skills and infrastructure needed for development.

The United Nations was part of that journey.

Years before the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was formally established in 1965, UN technical cooperation was already supporting India's efforts to strengthen its scientific and engineering capabilities.

From the establishment of the country's early Indian Institutes of Technology to the development of satellite communications, digital governance and public health systems, the partnership has evolved alongside India's changing priorities.

On United Nations Day, we revisit some of the milestones that have shaped this journey.

1950s: Building the foundations of scientific India

India's early development priorities included building institutions capable of producing world-class scientists, engineers and researchers.

UN technical assistance contributed to the establishment of IIT Kharagpur in 1950 and IIT Bombay in 1958, supporting the development of institutions that would help shape India's scientific and technological future.

These early investments in education and research laid the groundwork for decades of innovation.

1960s: From oil exploration to satellite communications

As India expanded its industrial and technological capabilities, cooperation focused on strengthening expertise in energy and communications.

In 1966, training and research support to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's Institute of Petroleum Exploration helped strengthen domestic oil exploration capabilities.

A year later, technical expertise supported India's first Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station in Ahmedabad.

This was an important step in developing India's capabilities in satellite-based communication, technologies that would eventually support applications ranging from environmental monitoring to disaster warnings.

1970s: Transforming dairy, broadcasting and public administration

The 1970s brought a new focus on modernising systems that touched everyday life.

Through technical cooperation with the National Dairy Development Board, UNDP supported Operation Flood, the programme that helped transform India's dairy sector and strengthen milk supply chains across the country.

In media and communications, UNDP helped develop the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune and establish a dedicated television training division, strengthening professional broadcasting skills.

Meanwhile, support to the National Informatics Centre helped introduce mainframe computing into public administration, an early milestone in India's journey towards digital governance.

1980s: Protecting wildlife and connecting researchers

By the 1980s, environmental conservation and scientific connectivity were becoming increasingly important.

UNDP's collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India strengthened research and training capacities for wildlife conservation.

In 1986, cooperation with the Department of Electronics contributed to the development of ERNET, India's pioneering education and research network, helping connect scientific institutions through emerging networking technologies.

UNDP also supported the strengthening of plant quarantine stations to protect agriculture against pests and pathogens as India expanded access to imported seeds.

1990s: Putting people at the centre of development

The 1990s marked an important shift towards understanding development beyond economic growth alone.

Working with India's Planning Commission, UNDP helped strengthen the use of the human development approach in policymaking, supporting national and state-level systems for measuring progress in people's lives.

At the community level, the South Asia Poverty Alleviation Programme supported women's self-help groups in Andhra Pradesh, strengthening local institutions that would become important to rural financial and social systems.

Cooperation also extended to clean energy strategies for Himalayan states, research and diversification in the jute sector, conservation of medicinal plants and efforts to understand the migratory routes of Olive Ridley sea turtles.

The common thread was a growing emphasis on people, livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

2000s: Strengthening rights, local governance and disaster resilience

The new millennium brought greater attention to citizen rights, accountable institutions and community participation.

Following the introduction of the Right to Information Act in 2005, UNDP supported capacity building for public information officers and government officials to help operationalise the legislation.

From 2006, technical assistance to the Ministry of Rural Development helped strengthen systems for implementing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

UNDP also worked to build the capacities of elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions and collaborated with the Government of India to institutionalise gender budgeting.

In disaster management, the partnership supported stronger state-level capacities and community-led recovery approaches, placing affected communities at the centre of reconstruction.

Other areas of cooperation included biodiversity planning, sustainable rural tourism, HIV-sensitive social protection and State Action Plans on Climate Change.

2010s: Digital health, inclusion and climate finance

During the 2010s, the partnership increasingly brought together technology, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

One major milestone was the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN), designed and implemented by UNDP to digitise vaccine stocks and cold-chain temperature monitoring.

By improving visibility across vaccine supply chains, eVIN helped strengthen immunisation logistics and later provided an important foundation for COVID-19 vaccine management.

UNDP also supported efforts to advance transgender rights, improve access to justice for women and marginalised communities, and expand women's opportunities through the Disha programme, which tested approaches to skills development and entrepreneurship.

On the environmental front, the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), launched in India in 2015, helped assess financing needs and inform national biodiversity financing plans.

Work on energy efficiency in industries and Indian Railways demonstrated how environmental sustainability could be integrated into major economic sectors.

2020s: Responding to crises and accelerating sustainable development

When COVID-19 placed extraordinary pressure on health systems, UNDP supported India's response through digital vaccine logistics and assistance to oxygen systems in hospitals across the Northeast.

The partnership supported the rollout of CoWIN for COVID-19 vaccination and subsequently the nationwide rollout of U-WIN, strengthening digital systems for routine immunisation for pregnant women and children.

Beyond the pandemic, cooperation has focused on translating the Sustainable Development Goals into measurable progress at state and district levels.

UNDP-supported SDG monitoring and coordination models have helped strengthen data-driven planning and local action.

The partnership also continues to support India's environmental commitments, including action on climate change, biodiversity, desertification and ozone layer protection.

At the community level, work with government partners focuses on strengthening rights and livelihoods for tribal communities, supporting smallholder farmers through crop insurance, and improving protections for sanitation workers.

From public health to climate resilience, the emphasis remains on building systems that can reach people at scale.