By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : April 09, 2026 4:15 pm
Minister highlights RDI fund, private participation in space and nuclear sectors, and calls for faster reforms to improve ease of research in India
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has called on India’s private sector to accelerate its participation in research and development, stressing that stronger industry engagement is now critical to building a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.
The appeal came during the release of two NITI Aayog reports on easing R&D processes, where the minister linked India’s scientific ambitions to the need for systemic reforms.
Dr Singh said the government has already created an enabling framework by opening sectors such as space and nuclear energy to private players and introducing dedicated mechanisms like the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. He argued that the next phase of growth now depends on industry responding with higher R&D investments, deeper collaborations, and commercialization-focused innovation.
A central theme of his remarks was the need to improve the “ease of doing research” in India. He pointed to persistent challenges such as funding delays, administrative bottlenecks, approval slowdowns, and compliance burdens, noting that these frictions often undermine the country’s otherwise strong scientific talent base.
The minister also made a strong case for broadening the funding base beyond government grants, highlighting the still-limited contribution of private industry and underutilized CSR allocations for R&D.
Dr Singh urged companies, philanthropists, and institutions to build a stronger culture of long-term support for science, saying public financing alone cannot sustain India’s innovation ambitions.
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery emphasized that inefficiencies often emerge at the intersections between approvals, funding, and execution systems, requiring coordinated, lifecycle-wide reforms. Member V. K. Saraswatdescribed India’s research ecosystem as being at a “point of transition,” calling for greater autonomy for institutions and tighter industry-research linkages. Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. A. K. Sood also flagged unresolved issues around funding success rates, the TSA framework, and hiring constraints.