Status of Research and Development in India

The status of research and development (R&D) in India reflects significant growth in investment, yet it remains low at approximately 0.6% of GDP compared to global leaders. Enhancing R&D is crucial for driving innovation, economic growth, and addressing pressing societal challenges. This article aims to study in detail the current state of R&D in India, its challenges, and the pathways for improvement.

About Status of R&D in India

• Although India’s investment in science, which is measured in terms of Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD), has tripled in the last decade, the ratio was stagnant at 0.6 to 0.7 per cent of the GDP.
• India’s spending on R&D (about 0.6 per cent of GDP) is well below that in major nations such as the US (2.8), China (2.1), Israel (4.3) and Korea (4.2).
• According to the Survey, East Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea have seen dramatic increase in R&D as a percentage of GDP as they have become richer. India, on the other hand, has only seen a slight increase.
• At its current rate, India would just barely reach GERD of 1 per cent of GDP by the time it will be as rich as the USA.
• The country needs to redouble its efforts to make improvements in science and R&D. Private investments in R&D have severely lagged public investments in India.
• In most countries, the private sector carries out most of the R&D. However, in India, the government is not just the primary source of R&D funding but also a primary user of these funds.

Encourage Investigator-Led Research

• India needs to gradually move to have a greater share of an investigator-driven model for funding science research.
• A step in this direction occurred in 2008, with the establishment of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of DST.
• This body has sanctioned about three and half thousand new R&D projects to individual scientists.
• It has been a promising start that needs to expand with more resources and creative governance structures.

Increase Funding for Research

• The private sector should be incentivized to both undertake more R&D,Scientific research in India and to also support STEM research through CSR funds.
• Current tax law already favors CSR investment into R&D. Further, the types of R&D activities eligible can be expanded.
• The government can also work with the private sector to create new R&D funding opportunities which are also in line with private sector interests.
• Efforts like the 50:50 partnership with SERB for industry relevant research under the Ucchatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) is a good example.
• State governments too need to recognize the need to invest in application oriented research aimed at problems specific to their economies and populations.
• This would both strengthen state universities as well as provide much needed knowledge in areas such as crops, ecology and species specific to a state.

Link National Labs to Universities and Create New Knowledge Eco-Systems

• Universities have students but need additional faculty support, while research institutes have qualified faculty but are starved of bright young students brimming with energy and ideas.
• A closer relationship between the two in specific geographic and spatial settings would help nurture research in areas reflecting the fields of science in which the national research centers have strengths.
• Together they can link up with the commercial sectors and help develop industrial clusters in those areas that draw on these research strengths and lay the foundations of innovation driven “smart cities.”

Mission Driven Approach to R&D

India has the potential to be a global leader outright in a number of areas if it is willing to invest. However, this will require a deliberate focus in a few key areas. The potential missions given below were chosen for their strategic importance and potential for societal impact:

• National Mission on Dark Matter: India needs at least one mission that is directed towards the basic sciences. India is one of the leading countries in high energy physics and relevant mathematics. The payoffs from this research will have implications on space missions.
• National Mission on Genomics: Genomic research lies at the heart of the future of the life sciences. India already has a strong foundation of life science research institutes which together can make significant contributions in this area.
• National Mission on Energy Storage Systems: Renewable energy is the future and India has made a major commitment to investment in renewable energy. Substantial investments in energy storage systems will ensure that India can be a leader in manufacturing energy storage systems. For India, this will be especially helpful to provide round-the-clock electricity to villages using off-grid renewable energy systems.
• National Mission on Mathematics: A National Mission of Mathematics will improve mathematics teaching at all levels of higher education, seek to establish five institutes of mathematical sciences within existing institutions, conduct annual district, state and national math Olympiad competitions with sizeable scholarships for all winners, with the overall goal of rapidly increasing India’s human capital and research profile in mathematics within a decade.
• National Mission on Cyber Physical Systems: The term Cyber Physical System (CPS) refers to machine based communication, analysis, inference, decision, action, and control in the context of a natural world (“Physical” aspect). These are the building blocks of future industry that will throw up both new challenges and opportunities.
• National Mission on Agriculture: A national mission could help overcome the weaknesses in existing institutions of agricultural research and technology.

Greater Public Engagement of Science and Research Establishments

• If science is to garner greater support from society, it will require scientists to engage more vigorously with society.
• Much of science is – and should be – a public good, and hence that will always require substantial public funding.
• Scientists need to create broad public support for their work and not treat it as an entitlement, given the many claims on the public purse. And if they do that, they will find a receptive and supportive public.

Conclusion

To transform India’s R&D status into a robust engine for growth, a concerted effort is needed to enhance funding, promote investigator-led research, and establish collaborative ecosystems between universities and national laboratories. By focusing on strategic national missions and encouraging greater public engagement, India can unlock its potential as a leader in scientific research and development. The road ahead requires a shift in mindset—from viewing R&D as a mere expense to recognizing it as a vital investment in the nation’s future, ensuring that science remains a public good that benefits all.

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