R and D in India

 

According to UNESCO's data on Global expenditure on R and D has crossed 1.7 trillion dollars.

Status of R and D in India

Gross domestic expenditure on R and D is around 0 .7% of GDP. Approximately 37% was allocated general R and D agencies like ICAR, CSIR, DST, DBT, ICMR . 0.9% was allocated to R and D in electronics, IT and renewable energy.

Two important focus of Budget 2022-23 are;

1. Opening R and D for industry, start ups and academia . 25% of defense budget has been earmarked for this.
2. Identification of sunrise opportunities like ; AI, Geospatial systems, drones, semi conductors, space, genomics, pharmaceuticals, green energy and clean mobility systems.

India's performance

• India is a low spender( only .66% of GDP).
• In most of the developed capitalist countries , defense related R and D is undertaken by private sector.
• In India expenditure is mostly by public funding.

Need for R and D

• Increased productivity and growth.
• Low cost indigenous solutions.
• Improved learning outcomes.
• Helps to reduce imports.
• Helps to tackle emergencies ; in case of vaccine Covaxin along with  covishield.
• Improve national security.
• Reduce impact of climate change.

Steps taken by GOI

• National research foundation.
• IMPRINT; Impacting Research Innovation and technology aims to provide solutions to most relevant engineering challenges by translating knowledge to technology.
• Atal Tinkering labs; Initiative by NITI Aayog under Atal Innovation Mission . It aims to foster curiosity , creativity, and imagination in young minds.
• IPR laws; India is a signatory of TRIPS and has enacted it's domestic IPR laws to foster IPR creation and to curtail it's violation.

Challenges

• Low funding.
• Delay in distribution.
• High dependence on grants.
• Lack of skilled people.
• IPR violation.
• Outdated Curriculum.
• Poor Private sector participation.

Way forward

• Increase fund allocation, as Economic Survey 2020-21 suggested , increase GERD to over 2% from 0.77%.
• Promote start UP s.
• Proper implementation of schemes like Make in India, and Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Programmes for skill development.
• Proper implementation of National IPR policy 2016.
• GOI should promote Government-Industry- Academia partnership to support R and D ecosystem in India.
• Expand learning experience to other sectors like green technologies, defense and electronic manufacture.