Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s rapid progress in research and innovation, announcing a ₹20,000 crore allocation for R&D in Budget 2025-26. Speaking at the Post-Budget Webinar on “Investing in Innovation,” he emphasized India’s emergence as a global leader in science and technology.
Dr. Singh said that India now ranks 3rd globally in startups and scientific research, with the country’s position in the Global Innovation Index improving from 81st to 39th over the past decade. He also pointed to a 17-fold surge in patent grants, underscoring the government’s focus on deep-tech and sunrise sectors.
The ₹20,000 crore investment builds on last year’s ₹1 lakh crore corpus aimed at accelerating private-sector R&D, particularly in fields like semiconductor manufacturing, AI, 5G, and quantum computing. The government is also tripling Prime Minister’s Research Fellowships (PMRF) to support 10,000 young researchers over the next five years.
In the agricultural sector, India is set to establish a National Enlarged Gene Bank Replica, enhancing crop security. The country’s existing National Gene Bank is the world’s second-largest, safeguarding over 4.7 lakh germplasm accessions.
Dr. Singh also announced the launch of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a large-scale initiative to digitize over one crore ancient manuscripts, ensuring their preservation and accessibility.
“These steps align with our vision for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’—investing in innovation today will empower young minds and cement India’s global leadership in science and technology,” he said.
