India's R&D Surge: Achievements and Challenges

India is making strides in R&D with significant growth in patents, but its R&D investment as a percentage of GDP remains low compared to other countries. The private sector's contribution is also minimal. Strengthening the link between higher education, industry, and research is crucial for better research output.

India is experiencing rapid progress in research and development (R&D), evidenced by nearly one lakh patents granted in FY24, a substantial increase from less than 25,000 in FY20, according to the Economic Survey 2023-24.

Despite this advancement, the country's R&D investment as a percentage of GDP remains significantly lower than that of nations like China, the US, and Israel. Additionally, the private sector's contribution to R&D is notably low, with only 36.4% of the country's gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) coming from private entities.

The survey highlights the need to strengthen the link between higher education, industry, and research to convert GERD into tangible research output. It also notes that while India is developing technologies, their transformation rate from lab to society remains inadequate. On a positive note, India's PhD enrolments have significantly increased, reflecting a burgeoning pool of human resources for future research endeavors.