The Prime Minister on Monday highlighted the government’s commitment to improving the ‘Ease of Doing Research’ in India while unveiling the Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The initiative aims to encourage private-sector investment in scientific research and strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The Prime Minister announced it during the Emerging Science and Technology Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025 in New Delhi.
Approved by the Union Cabinet in July, the RDI scheme is a major funding programme under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), established in 2023 to support research collaborations and high-impact innovation projects.
The Prime Minister said the government’s priority is to create a modern and efficient system that makes research easier and more effective.
“We are focusing on Ease of Doing Research so that a modern ecosystem of innovation can flourish in India. To achieve this vision, our government has introduced significant reforms in financial regulations and procurement policies,” he stated.
He further added that the RDI initiative, with its Rs 1 lakh crore allocation, is designed to open up new opportunities and benefit the public at large.
“For the first time, capital is being allocated specifically for high-risk, high-impact projects, ensuring support for groundbreaking endeavours,” the Prime Minister asserted.
He also emphasised the government’s efforts to streamline supply chains and incentive structures, enabling research prototypes to move quickly from laboratories to markets.
As a result, India has witnessed significant growth in R&D investment, patent filings, and start-ups.
“Over the past decade, our R&D expenditure has doubled, demonstrating our commitment to innovation. Additionally, the number of registered patents has grown an impressive 17-fold. In the startup landscape, India has emerged as the third-largest ecosystem globally,” he noted.
The Prime Minister further underlined the role of the ANRF in expanding research opportunities across universities.
“You all have been familiar with the vision of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan for a long time. While doing research and focus, we have also added Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan to it. We have established the National Research Foundation for research, so that research and innovation can be scaled up in our universities,” he reiterated.
PM Modi also celebrated the growing presence of women in STEM fields, observing that patent applications by women have risen from fewer than 100 a decade ago to over 5,000 annually, with 43 per cent of STEM students in India now being women, surpassing the global average.
The Prime Minister stated that when ‘science meets scale, innovation becomes inclusive’, adding that India’s technological progress over the past decade shows how research can drive large-scale transformation.
PM Modi cited achievements such as the Chandrayaan mission, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s spaceflight, and ISRO’s latest satellite launch. He also highlighted the rise of over 6,000 deep-tech start-ups working in clean energy and advanced materials.
“Today, over 6,000 of our deeptech startups are working in areas like clean energy and advanced materials. India’s semiconductor sector has also taken off,” PM Modi remarked.
Scheduled from 3 to 5 November, the three-day conclave will bring together more than 3,000 delegates. These participants will represent academia, government, research institutions, and industry.
Discussions will span 11 key areas, such as:
- Advanced Materials and Manufacturing,
- Artificial Intelligence,
- Bio-Manufacturing,
- Blue Economy,
- Quantum Science,
- Space Technology,
- Digital Communications,
- Health and Medical Innovations,
- Energy,
- Environment and Climate, and
- Emerging Agriculture Technologies
Also Read: PM Modi Flags Off ESTIC 2025; Unveils Rs 1 Lakh Crore RDI Scheme
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