NITI Aayog’s Future Front Report Highlights Strategic Promise of 2D Materials

As the world stands at the cusp of a materials revolution that could reshape industries from semiconductors to quantum technologies, NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub (FTH) has spotlighted one of the most promising fields of the future—two-dimensional (2D) materials. The think tank today released the fourth edition of its flagship Future Front Quarterly Insights series, titled “Introduction to 2D Materials”, developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

The report aims to drive awareness about the transformative potential of 2D materials, underline India’s role in this global race, and highlight why early investment and innovation in this frontier are vital for both economic and strategic resilience.

What Are 2D Materials and Why They Matter

2D materials are sheets of crystalline substances with a thickness of just a few atoms—roughly 1/80,000th the width of a human hair or 800,000 times thinner than the tip of a pencil. Despite their extreme thinness, they possess remarkable properties:

• 200 times stronger than steel

• Superior electrical conductivity to copper

• Exceptional flexibility and transparency

• Unique quantum and photonic characteristics

These attributes make them potential game-changers for semiconductors, clean energy storage, flexible electronics, advanced sensors, next-generation batteries, and quantum computing.

Implications for India’s Strategic Future

The report stresses that India cannot afford to miss the 2D materials revolution, as the benefits go far beyond product innovation:

• Energy Savings: Devices made with 2D materials promise drastically lower energy consumption.

• Intellectual Property (IP) Ownership: Early leadership translates into long-term advantages in patents and global value chains.

• Strategic Independence: Self-reliance in critical materials reduces dependence on foreign suppliers at a time when access to advanced technologies is increasingly geopoliticized.

• Economic Growth: With silicon scaling nearing its physical limits, 2D materials could anchor the next leap in computing and electronics.

Conversely, the cost of inaction, the report warns, will not just be economic but strategic, with countries lagging behind risking technological dependency for decades to come.

Building Resilient Innovation Ecosystems

The Future Front insight emphasizes the need for resilient innovation ecosystems in India—where academia, industry, and government collaborate seamlessly. Among its key recommendations are:

• Strengthening R&D investments in material sciences and nanotechnology.

• Fostering international partnerships for joint research and technology development.

• Building indigenous supply chains to secure access to critical materials.

• Creating incubation hubs and testbeds for startups working on 2D material applications.

This aligns with the government’s broader strategy of promoting Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) while ensuring global competitiveness.

A Global Race India Must Join

Across the world, nations are racing to secure leadership in this emerging domain. Countries like the United States, China, South Korea, and members of the European Union are investing heavily in graphene research and beyond-graphene 2D materials. India’s entry into this competition will require both speed and scale, ensuring that domestic innovators are not left behind in what many experts see as the “post-silicon era.”

Accessing the Report

The fourth edition of Future Front Quarterly Insights is available on the NITI Aayog website: FTH Quarterly Insight, September 2025 (PDF). The report provides a foundational understanding of 2D materials, their potential applications, and strategic implications for India’s technology roadmap.

Looking Ahead

By highlighting 2D materials, NITI Aayog is urging policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to treat advanced materials as a national priority, much like semiconductors and artificial intelligence. With IISc’s expertise and India’s growing innovation base, the country has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global hub for advanced material technologies.

As the report makes clear, the next decade will determine whether India emerges as a leader in this frontier or risks playing catch-up in a world defined by new material sciences.