India backing high risk, high impact R&D to drive innovation: Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
- IBEF
- November 4, 2025
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on Monday said India is prioritising high-risk, high-impact research and development (R&D) and fostering private investment to establish itself as a global science and technology powerhouse. Inaugurating the first-ever Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC), he announced the launch of the Rs. 1,00,000 crore (US$ 11.27 billion) Research, Development and Innovation Fund aimed at catalysing private sector-led innovation. He emphasised that this investment would unlock new opportunities and strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, with a focus on ‘Ease of Doing Research’ and policies that enable swift commercialisation of technologies. He noted that the government has implemented reforms in financial regulations, procurement, and incentives to accelerate the transition of ideas from labs to markets.
He said India’s R&D expenditure has doubled in the last decade, patent registrations have risen 17-fold, and the country now ranks as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. He also highlighted the establishment of the Anusandhan Research Foundation to enhance university-level innovation. Stressing inclusive innovation, he pointed out that women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has risen significantly, with patents filed by women increasing from fewer than 100 a decade ago to over 5,000 annually. With 43% of STEM students being women, India stands above the global average. He concluded that India is no longer just a consumer of technology but a global innovator, where science, scale, and inclusivity are driving transformation.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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