IISc, Pratiksha Trust launch ‘Moonshot’ project on brain co-processors
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and the Pratiksha Trust formally launched the 'Moonshot' project on brain co-processors on 4 March 2026 — a flagship initiative under the Brain, Computation, and Data Science (BCD) programme.
The project was initiated in October 2022 following a special call for proposals by the BCD Scientific Advisory Committee, but the public launch marks its transition into active development phase.
Brain co-processors are devices that interface with the human brain to decode neural signals, process them using AI algorithms, and stimulate the brain to restore or enhance cognitive and motor functions.
The first phase of the project, called 'MindReader' (years 1–5), will focus on recording neural activity at high densities across different brain regions and decoding mental states — perceptual, cognitive, and motor.
The target medical application decided by the team is cognitive rehabilitation of stroke patients, chosen for its large unmet clinical need in India.
The project integrates neuroscience, AI, and engineering, with IISc faculty collaborating with national and international researchers across disciplines.
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) — Science and Applications
A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that establishes a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device, bypassing conventional neuromuscular pathways. BCIs can be invasive (implanted electrodes), minimally invasive, or non-invasive (EEG headsets).
Key Details
- BCIs record electrical signals (action potentials or field potentials) from neurons; AI algorithms decode these signals into commands for external devices.
- Applications include restoring movement in paralysed individuals, enabling communication for "locked-in" patients, and treating neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and severe depression via deep brain stimulation.
- Elon Musk's Neuralink received US FDA approval in 2023 for human trials of an implantable BCI; the first human implant was performed in January 2024.
- The global BCI market is projected to reach USD 6 billion by 2030.
The IISc Moonshot project positions India to develop indigenous BCI technology, reducing dependence on imported neurotechnology and creating a research ecosystem that can generate India-specific solutions for stroke rehabilitation.
Stroke Burden in India — The Clinical Context
Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability in India, making cognitive rehabilitation a priority public health challenge. India reports approximately 1.8 million new strokes every year, with survivors often suffering lasting impairments in memory, attention, language, and motor function.
Key Details
- India has a stroke incidence of 119–145 per 100,000 population annually (higher than global averages).
- Neurological disorders collectively account for a significant portion of India's disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
- Rehabilitation infrastructure is severely limited: fewer than 1,500 neurologists serve a population of 1.4 billion.
- Cognitive rehabilitation using conventional therapy is resource-intensive and has limited scalability in low-resource settings.
Choosing stroke rehabilitation as the Moonshot project's first application directly addresses a major national health burden, giving the research a clinically actionable focus rather than remaining purely experimental.
India's Neurotechnology Research Ecosystem
India has been building its neurotechnology research base through multiple institutions. IIT Kharagpur has developed hands-free, touch-free text-entry BCI systems. IIT Palakkad's Brain Machine Interface Systems Lab works on EEG-based assistive technologies. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has funded post-stroke rehabilitation projects using BCI-based exoskeleton systems through Indo-UK collaborations.
Key Details
- India ranks among the five countries worldwide with the highest volume of BCI research publications.
- The National Programme for Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS, Bengaluru) is a key institution for neurology and psychiatric research.
- The BCD programme at IISc is funded by the Pratiksha Trust, a philanthropic initiative by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and his wife Sudha.
- India's National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board supports neurotechnology startups.
The Moonshot project is a significant escalation of India's neurotechnology ambitions — it is the first large-scale, dedicated brain co-processor development program in India, comparable in ambition to global flagship neurotechnology projects.
Pratiksha Trust and Philanthropic Funding of Science in India
The Pratiksha Trust is a philanthropic foundation established by Senapathy "Kris" Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys, and his wife Sudha Gopalakrishnan. The trust's primary focus is brain research and neuroscience, with IISc as its principal institutional partner.
Key Details
- The Trust established and funds the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at IISc, one of India's largest dedicated brain research centres.
- The BCD (Brain, Computation, and Data Science) programme is a multi-disciplinary initiative within this broader collaboration.
- Philanthropic funding of science is a growing trend in India — Tata Trusts, Azim Premji Foundation, and Pratiksha Trust are leading examples of private philanthropy filling gaps in public science funding.
The Moonshot project exemplifies the public-private-philanthropic model for high-risk, frontier science in India — government institutions (IISc) backed by private philanthropy (Pratiksha Trust) undertaking research that requires long time horizons and is not easily commercially fundable in early stages.
- Project launch date: 4 March 2026, at IISc, Bengaluru.
- Project origin: Commenced October 2022 under BCD Scientific Advisory Committee.
- Phase 1 name: 'MindReader' — focused on high-density neural recording and mental state decoding.
- Target application: Cognitive rehabilitation of stroke patients.
- India's annual stroke incidence: approximately 1.8 million new cases per year.
- Global BCI market projected at USD 6 billion by 2030.
- Pratiksha Trust was established by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan.
- IISc's Centre for Brain Research (CBR) is the institutional home for this line of research.
- India ranks among the top 5 countries globally in volume of BCI research publications.