Recently, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology declared that Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been envisaged to anchor upscaled collaborations involving private players.

Status of Research and Development In India

• Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024: India has secured the 39th position among 133 global economies.
• Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD): India’s GERD has steadily increased, more than doubling from Rs. 60,196.75 crore in 2010–11 to Rs. 127,380.96 crore in 2020–21. 
  • The majority of this investment comes from the government sector, with contributions from the Central Government (43.7%), State Governments (6.7%), Higher Education (8.8%), and Public Sector Industry (4.4%).
• Women’s Participation in R&D: The involvement of women in R&D projects has grown significantly, reaching 25% in 2019–20, up from 13% in 2000–01.

• India’s Spending on R&D: India’s spending on R&D (about 0.6 percent of GDP) is well below the major nations such as the US (2.8), China (2.1), Israel (4.3) and Korea (4.2).
• Budget Allocation: In the Union Budget 2024–25, India allocated ₹20,000 crore to the Ministry of Science and Technology for research, development, and innovation.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 2024: India has gained 6th rank globally with 64,480 patent applications, domestic applicants comprising over half (55.2%) of these applications which is the first time for a country.

Challenges in India’s Research and Innovation Ecosystem

• Low Investment in R&D: India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) is only 0.7% of GDP, much below the global average of 2%.
• Limited Private Sector Participation: In India, 52% of R&D spending comes from the government, compared to just 10% in the US, 13% in Germany, and 15% in China.
• Lacunae In Research Infrastructure: Many universities and semi-urban institutions lack adequate funding and infrastructure for high-quality research.
• Talent Migration (Brain Drain): Many skilled Indian researchers and scientists move abroad in search of better research infrastructure, funding, and career opportunities, leading to a loss of high-quality talent.
• Industry–Academia Disconnect: Collaboration between universities and industries remains limited, resulting in low commercialization of academic research and weak innovation linkages.
• Administrative Bottlenecks: Bureaucratic red tape often causes delays in fund disbursement, project approvals, and procurement processes, hampering research continuity and efficiency.
• Intellectual Property Challenges: The number of patents filed in India is significantly lower compared to countries like China and the US, and the patent grant rate is also comparatively low.
• Regional Imbalances: R&D activities are concentrated in a few states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, while other regions lag due to inadequate infrastructure and institutional support.
• Gender Gap in STEM: According to UNESCO, only 35% of STEM students in higher education in India are women, and their presence in leadership positions is even lower.

Key Government Initiatives to Promote R&D and Innovation

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Launched by NITI Aayog in 2016, AIM fosters innovation and entrepreneurship through programs like Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, Atal Incubation Centres for startups, and support for MSMEs via the ARISE initiative.
• One Nation, One Subscription (2025): The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative is aimed at providing access to scholarly research content to all individuals in the country.
• Startup India (2016): This flagship initiative offers tax benefits, easier compliance, funding support (via SIDBI’s Fund of Funds), and a strong push to build a robust innovation-driven startup ecosystem.
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): ANRF acts as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction to scientific research in the country. It is established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023. 
• Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS): The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the ‘GENESIS’ Scheme in 2022 to boost the startup ecosystem in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
• National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System (NM-ICPS): It was launched in 2018 aimed at development of technology platforms to carry out R&D, translational research, product development, incubating & supporting startups as well as commercialization.

Measures to Enhance India’s R&D Capabilities

• Increase Funding: Enhancing Research and Development (R&D) Funding and Investment: India must scale up its R&D budget to at least 4% of GDP to strengthen research output and global competitiveness.
  • The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) should introduce incentives like tax breaks and equity-sharing models to encourage private sector contributions.

• Attract Global Talent: Reverse Brain Drain initiatives can incentivize Indian researchers abroad by offering competitive salaries, grants, and research facilities.
• Promote Research Quality: Establish a National Research Integrity Office to enforce ethical standards in research.
  • India ranks fourth in research output but ninth when it comes to research citation raising concern over the quality of work produced.
• Gender Inclusivity: Programs like Women in STEM scholarships and gender-sensitive policies such as extended maternity leave would increase female participation in science.
  • Women make up only 30% of the STEM workforce in India, which could rise with targeted policies.

• Innovation Incubators: Technology Business Incubators in universities would bridge the gap between research and marketable innovations.
  • A Lab to Market program could provide grants for translating academic research into commercial products.
• Enhance Research Infrastructure: There is a need for an Infrastructure Modernization program that could improve existing labs.
  • Example: Shared platforms like a national research cloud would allow researchers to collaborate on data-heavy projects, improving efficiency.
• Interdisciplinary Research: Centers of Interdisciplinary Research Excellence would stimulate collaboration across sectors such as biotech, AI, and climate change.
  • This could facilitate cross-pollination of ideas, creating a more dynamic research environment.

Conclusion

With continued policy support and an evolving talent pool, India is not just poised to maintain its leadership among lower-middle-income economies but also to emerge as a global powerhouse of innovation, driving advancements that could shape the future of industries worldwide.

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