Research and Development (R&D) is the backbone of innovation-led growth, productivity enhancement, and technological self-reliance. However, India’s R&D intensity remains structurally weak, posing a serious constraint to its Viksit Bharat 2047 ambition. Despite being a demographic and digital powerhouse, India continues to lag far behind global innovation leaders.
India’s R&D Deficit:
- Low R&D Spending: India’s Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) is only 0.64% of GDP, compared to China (2.4%), USA (3.5%), and Israel (5.4%).
- Research Output Gap: With 17.5% of the world’s population, India produces only 3% of global research output.
- Patent Paradox: Though India ranked 6th globally in patent filings (64,480 in 2023), it ranks 47th in resident patents per million population, indicating shallow innovation depth.
- Corporate Gap: A single firm Huawei spent $23.4 billion on R&D in 2023, exceeding India’s total public-private R&D outlay.
Structural Weaknesses in India’s R&D Ecosystem:
1. Government-Dominated R&D: Private sector contributes only 36–37% of GERD, versus >70% in the US and China.
2. Poor Academia-Industry Linkages: Less than 10% of institutions have strong industry collaboration, limiting applied research and commercialisation.
3. Low Applied Research Share: Only 13% of R&D funding goes to applied research, stifling innovation-to-market conversion.
4. Brain Drain: Over 3 million Indian-origin scientists and engineers work abroad due to better infrastructure and funding.
5. Gender & Diversity Gaps: Women constitute only 14% of India’s R&D workforce, far below the global average of 30%.
Government Initiatives:
- Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF, 2023) – Aims to catalyse industry–academia collaboration.
- National Missions in AI, Quantum Technologies, Semiconductors.
- SERB, BIRAC, Atal Innovation Mission – Supporting investigator-led and startup-driven research.
Reforms Needed:
- Funding: Raise GERD to 2% of GDP within 5–7 years with a target 50% private-sector share via tax incentives and co-funding.
- Mission-Mode approach: Fast track R&D in frontier areas such as AI, quantum, green energy, advanced materials.
- University-Led Research Model: Transform HEIs into research-intensive institutions with strong PhD funding and labs.
- Commercialisation Push: Strengthen IP regimes, tech transfer offices, and startup incubation.
- Adopt DARPA-style governance Under ANRF, high autonomy, risk-taking, outcome-driven funding.
- Career Incentive Structures: Introduce tenure-track systems, flexible hiring, and globally competitive compensation for researchers.
- Scale-Up Systems: Establish National Technology Translation Platforms to bridge the “valley of death” between research and commercialization.
Conclusion:
A decisive shift from importing technology to producing frontier knowledge is a strategic necessity for India’s aspiration to become a Viksit Bharat.
‘+1’ Value Addition:
- India ranks 39th in Global Innovation Index 2024, which is insufficient for a $10-trillion economy.
- Every 1% increase in GERD is associated globally with 0.6–0.8% long-term productivity gains as per the OECD.
- “You don’t build innovation ecosystems with rules meant for clerks.” – Economic Survey
- India excels at lab-level research (ISRO, DRDO, IITs) but fails at scaling technologies into markets.
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