The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (PSA to GOI) is primarily responsible for:

(i) Evolving policies, strategies and missions for generation of innovations and support systems for multiple applications, and

(ii) Generating science and technology tasks in strategic, economic and social sectors in partnership with Government departments, institutions and industry

The tasks of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (PSA's Office), therefore involve creation of missions and also undertake mutli-departmental, multi-institutional projects in strategic, technology and other areas of economic/ social relevance.

The PSA's Office tries to establish synergy among Government Departments, academic institutions and industry. This Synergy is required because, though the scientific business of the Government is divided amongst various Departments, there are some areas which fall into nobody's domain and there are certain areas which fall into domains of many Ministries/ Departments.

PSA to GOI is also Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and thus the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (PSA's Office) also serves as the Secretariat to the SAC-C.