The Government has not specifically set any target to increase Research and Development (R&D) expenditure to at least 1.5% of the GDP by 2029. The Gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) in the country has been consistently increasing over the years and has more than doubled from Rs. 60,196.75 crore in 2010-11 to Rs. 127,380.96 crore in 2020-21. The Government has long-standing and evolving objectives to enhance R&D investment, supported by structural and institutional reforms. The approach focuses on building a robust and sustainable innovation ecosystem in the country. To this end, the Government has undertaken several strategic initiatives to strengthen the R&D and innovation landscape. Some of the key policy measures and institutional interventions include:

• Progressive increase in budget allocations for scientific departments and research-oriented programmes.
• Establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through the ANRF Act, 2023 to provide high level strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of science & technology. A budgetary provision of Rs. 14,000 crore has been made from the Central Government and the additional funding is to be explored and sourced from non-governmental sources like industry, philanthropists, etc..
• Launch of National Missions such as National Quantum Mission to make India one of the leading nations in the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications (budget outlay: ₹6,003.65 crore); National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (budget outlay ₹3,660 crore); National Supercomputing Mission; Electric Vehicle-Mission program under ANRF’s MAHA (Mission for Advancement in High-impact Areas) programme; India Semiconductor Mission (₹76,000 crore) for building up semiconductor ecosystem in India; Deep Ocean Mission to explore and sustainably utilize the deep ocean's resources (budget outlay: ₹4077 crore); National Green Hydrogen Mission aimed at promoting the production, usage, and export of green hydrogen, a clean energy source; and India AI Mission to strengthen AI capabilities (budget outlay: ₹10,372 crore).
• Promotion of Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) and creation of Technology Hubs under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems and National Quantum Mission to foster collaborative technology development.
• Launch of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with a financial pool of ₹1 lakh crore over six years, to support and fund research and innovation in private sector, especially in sunrise sectors, thereby driving growth and innovation.
• Introduction of enabling policy frameworks such as the Geospatial Policy 2022, Space Policy 2023, and BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy 2024.

These initiatives collectively aim to strengthen India’s R&D capabilities, enhance collaboration between academia, industry, and government, and create the conditions for sustained increases in national R&D expenditure over time.

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2158386)