India’s One Nation, One Subscription (ONOS) initiative is an unprecedented attempt to make high-quality research accessible to all, eliminating institutional disparities and breaking down financial barriers. But while ONOS is a breakthrough in democratizing knowledge, its real significance lies in what comes next.

The long-term vision for ONOS is not merely to provide journal access — it is to lay the groundwork for an open-science ecosystem in India. This initiative must be seen as an enabling framework, setting the stage for a future where Indian research is not just consumed but also produced, shared, and validated openly.

A knowledge freeway for India

Imagine building a bridge — not just a physical one, but a knowledge freeway that connects scholars from elite institutions to state universities, from bustling cities to rural campuses. That is the essence of ONOS. The initiative is designed to negotiate a central subscription model, granting access to over 13,000 journal titles from 30 international publishers at a significantly reduced cost per user.

At its core, ONOS is a negotiation between three key stakeholders – the Indian government, which facilitates the framework and funding for ONOS; publishers, who provide access to journals and negotiate licensing agreements; and the research and academic community, the ultimate beneficiaries who drive innovation and knowledge creation.

ONOS is built on the idea that access to knowledge should not be restricted by geography or institutional funding. By negotiating a single, nationwide journal subscription, ONOS will remove paywall barriers for over 6,500 universities, colleges, and research institutions. The financial commitment of nearly 1600 crore rupees annually for subscriptions reflects the government’s recognition that knowledge is a public good, and that equitable access can drive national progress.

While increased access is critical, ONOS alone is not enough. Many institutions, particularly smaller state universities and colleges, lack the digital infrastructure, research training, and awareness to fully utilize these resources. Simply providing access to journals does not address systemic challenges such as weak research culture, inadequate mentorship for early-career researchers, and disparities in publication opportunities. If ONOS is to succeed in the long term, parallel investments in digital literacy, research skill-building, and institutional capacity must follow.

Laying the foundation of open science

The true potential of ONOS lies in its role as a catalyst for open science — a shift from closed, paywalled research to a model where knowledge is shared, reused, and built upon freely. Open science is not just about open access; it is about changing how research is conducted, evaluated, and disseminated.

1. Strengthening India’s open-access publishing model

ONOS is the foundation for the growth of Indian-led, high-impact open-access journals. Currently, a significant proportion of India’s research output is published in paywalled international journals, limiting its reach. Investing in domestic open-access platforms and institutional repositories will allow Indian research to be disseminated globally without financial barriers.

Additionally, ONOS negotiations must include transformative agreements that waive or subsidize Article Processing Charges (APCs), ensuring that Indian researchers — especially from underfunded institutions — can publish in top journals without facing financial constraints.

APCs for top journals are exorbitant and often unaffordable for researchers. By negotiating for ‘read and publish’ with publishers in future ONOS wants to facilitate Indian researchers publishing in ONOS titles without having to pay APCs.

2. Changing research evaluation metrics

Academic impact in India is still measured largely through journal impact factors — a metric that disproportionately benefits large publishers. The global research community is moving toward alternative evaluation models such as DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment) and The Leiden Manifesto, which emphasize the quality of research over where it is published.

India must actively promote policy changes in academic hiring, promotional assessment, tenure, and funding processes, encouraging institutions to adopt new metrics that reward open research practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and societal impact over citation counts.

3. Encouraging data sharing and collaboration

A core principle of open science is data transparency. Many high-income nations have mandated open-data policies, requiring researchers to make datasets publicly available for validation and reuse. India has taken steps toward this with initiatives like the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), but widespread adoption remains slow.

For ONOS to be a true stepping stone to open science, it must become the gateway for the development of federated national research repositories where datasets, preprints, and research results can be shared openly. It must also incentivize researchers to adopt FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles in data sharing and equip researchers with data management and reproducibility skills.

Without a structured approach to open-data sharing, ONOS risks being a stand-alone project rather than an active driver of knowledge creation.

What comes next?

The global academic community is moving rapidly toward collaborative, transparent, and publicly accessible research. ONOS provides India with a rare opportunity to leapfrog traditional barriers and position itself as a leader in open science rather than a passive participant in the existing system. It is not enough to consume global knowledge — India must become an active contributor to the open science movement.

For ONOS to serve as a launchpad for open science in India, the next steps are clear. India must expand beyond subscription access to invest in India-led open-access publishing and institutional repositories. We must rethink research evaluation by shifting from journal impact factors to quality- and impact-based metrics. We must also promote data-sharing frameworks implementing policies for open data, preprint archives, and collaborative research platforms. On top of this, the country must support digital literacy and research infrastructure to ensure that all institutions, not just elite universities, benefit from ONOS.

ONOS is not the end goal. It is the beginning. India has a chance to reshape its research landscape in a way that aligns with global open science initiatives while addressing local challenges. By prioritizing equity, accessibility, and transparency, India can not only democratize knowledge but also redefine its role in global academia.