India Advances Industry-Led Research with New RDI Fund Amid Innovation Challenges

India's innovation ecosystem faces challenges with limited private sector R&D investment, as public funding dominates about 64% of total expenditure. While India has improved its Global Innovation Index ranking, only 17 Indian companies feature among the top 2,000 global R&D investors. Critics highlight constrained imagination in academia and low commercialization of patents. The government plans to boost industry-led research through the Research Development Innovation fund, deploying Rs 4,000 crore via Technology Development Board and BIRAC to support projects starting January 2026.