Research Ecosystem in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there is a need to identify and remove obstacles in the research ecosystem of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while chairing the first meeting of the governing board of Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). He further emphasised that research should be focussed on finding new solutions to existing problems and although these concerns could be global in nature, their solutions must be localised in accordance with Indian needs.

Need of strong research ecosystem

The significance of research and innovation cannot be overstated in fuelling:  Economic growth; Technological advancement and Global competitiveness. However, the ecosystem is suffering from various challenges/issues:

• Low Funding: R&D funding in India is less than 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is relatively low compared to global standards.
• As per data from the National Science Foundation USA,
  • India’s spending on research and development is among the lowest in the world. In 2022, India spent 0.65% of GDP on R&D, which is lower than the BRICS nations and much lower than the world average of 1.8%. 
  • India ranks 3rd in the world for both scientific publications as well as for the number of PhD students.
  • India ranks 9th in citations, 6th in patent filings and 40th for innovation, which is a matter of concern.
  • India has one of the lowest Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) in the world, with only USD 43 per capita, according to the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index Report 2021.
• Gap: India has over 4.3 crore students spread across 1,168 universities and 45,473 colleges. Centrally funded institutions like IITs and IIMs, though prestigious, enroll less than 1 per cent of the total student population.
• Lack of Provisions: There are insufficient additional provisions for R&D in emerging sectors, hindering innovation in sunrise industries.
• High Dependence on Grants: Many universities rely heavily on extramural support from agencies like the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This dependency often compromises the quality of doctoral research due to fluctuating funding levels and reduced autonomy.
• Brain Drain: A significant outflow of top talent to foreign countries results in a shortage of skilled professionals within India’s R&D sector, affecting the country's innovative capacity.
• IPR Violation: Poor enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) discourages foreign investment in R&D, as investors are concerned about the safety and return on their innovations.
• Outdated Curriculum and Pedagogy: Many universities continue to use outdated curricula centered around rote learning and job-oriented skills, which limits the effective utilization of research grants and the development of innovative capabilities.
• Poor Private Sector Participation: Private sector contributions to R&D account for only 37% of total R&D expenditure in India, significantly below the 68% average in developed countries, resulting in underfunded and less dynamic research efforts.