**Executive Summary**
On April 9, 2026, NITI Aayog released two reports titled “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India” and “Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India” to foster a more efficient and innovation-driven research ecosystem. Developed through a nine-month consultation with over 1,250 stakeholders, the reports offer actionable recommendations to address funding, regulatory, and governance challenges. These documents serve as a dynamic guidance framework for ministries and departments to transition toward a trust-based, outcome-oriented research environment.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Scope and Methodology**
* Based on an extensive nine-month exercise involving 400+ institutional leaders and 850+ scientists and researchers.
* Utilized nationwide surveys, stakeholder consultations, and regional meetings to ensure an evidence-driven approach.
**Core Challenges Identified**
* Significant impediments found across internal institutional processes and external ecosystem factors.
* Key bottlenecks identified in funding architectures, policy frameworks, and complex regulatory systems.
* Noted a consistency in challenges faced by researchers despite diverse institutional contexts.
**Strategic Recommendations**
* **Funding Reforms:** Enhancing funding mechanisms and introducing greater flexibility in financial norms to encourage private sector contributions.
* **Governance and Regulation:** Transitioning from rigid institutional structures to flexible, responsive, and adaptable frameworks.
* **Researcher Support:** Prioritizing support for early-stage scientists and creating a "trust-based" environment to enable researchers to perform at full potential.
* **Research Translation:** Focusing on institutional structures for "mission-mode" R&D to effectively translate research into practical applications.
**Private Sector Integration**
* Advocacy for increased private sector participation in research and innovation.
* Utilization of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to support startups and emerging research areas.
**Impact Analysis**
**Researchers and Scientists**
**Impact**
They are set to benefit from a more facilitative and less restrictive environment, with specific focus on supporting early-stage researchers and reducing administrative impediments.
**Action Required**
Utilize the new adaptable frameworks and trust-based systems to enhance research output and participate in multi-domain collaborations.
**Research Institutions and Science Academies**
**Impact**
Institutions will need to move away from rigid, traditional structures toward mission-mode R&D and more flexible internal governance.
**Action Required**
Implement enabling mechanisms that complement institutional intent and adopt the reports' recommendations as a guidance document for internal reform.
**Private Sector and Startups**
**Impact**
There is a call for higher involvement from this sector in funding and sustaining innovation, particularly through CSR and support for emerging technologies.
**Action Required**
Engage in research funding and collaborate with academic institutions to support and sustain innovation-driven projects.
**Government Ministries and Departments**
**Impact**
These bodies are the primary recipients of the report and are responsible for the continuous process of improving the R&D ecosystem.
**Action Required**
Review the shared reports and implement the actionable recommendations focused on funding mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, and institutional governance.
Key Entities Referenced
Ease of Doing Research & Development in India: The primary report released by NITI Aayog that outlines actionable recommendations to improve funding mechanisms, institutional governance, and regulatory frameworks in the research ecosystem.
NITI Aayog: The premier policy think tank of India that conducted the extensive research outreach and released the reports to enable an innovation-driven research ecosystem.
Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India: A companion report based on an evidence-driven process involving insights from over 850 scientists and 400 institutional leaders across the country.
Ministry of Science & Technology: The central ministry involved in the report’s release and responsible for overseeing the scientific departments and research environment in the country.
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog releases reports on “Ease of Doing
Research & Development in India”
Posted On: 10 APR 2026 7:58PM by PIB Delhi
NITI Aayog released two reports titled “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India” and the
“Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India” on 9th April 2026 in New Delhi, aimed at enabling a
more efficient, facilitative, and innovation-driven research ecosystem in the country. The reports are the
outcome of an extensive exercise conducted over a period of approximately nine months, involving
outreach to 400+ institutional leaders and insights from 850+ distinguished scientists and researchers
across the country.
The reports were formally released by Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, and the Chief Guest
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science & Technology, in the
presence of Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, along with Secretaries of scientific departments,
senior government officials, presidents of science academies, and representatives from academia and
industry.
The event commenced with a welcome address and presentation by Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh, Senior
Adviser, NITI Aayog, who provided an overview of the report’s objectives, methodology, and key
findings. He highlighted that the report identifies challenges across multiple thematic areas and puts
forward over actionable recommendations, based on an evidence-driven process including nationwide
surveys, stakeholder consultations, and regional consultative meetings.
Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Former President, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), shared key insights
from the survey report, highlighting the importance of strengthening innovation within the research
ecosystem. Prof. Vinod Kumar Singh, President, National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI),
emphasized the need to support researchers at all levels, particularly early-stage scientists, noting that
strong intent across institutions must be complemented by enabling mechanisms. Dr. Shekhar C. Mande,
President, INSA, underscored the importance of facilitating private sector participation in research
funding and called for greater flexibility in financial norms to encourage such contributions.
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, noted that improving the
ease of doing R&D is a continuous process and stressed the importance of implementing the report’s
recommendations, with the report serving as a dynamic working document. Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member,
NITI Aayog, highlighted the diversity of institutional contexts in which research is conducted across India,
while noting a strong consistency in the challenges faced by researchers. He emphasized that these
challenges span both internal institutional processes and external ecosystem factors, including funding
architectures, policy frameworks, and regulatory systems.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that the report is grounded in evidence and
reflects the realities of the research ecosystem. He noted that research flourishes in an environment free of
impediments and highlighted India’s strong human resource base. He also called for greater participationfrom the private sector, including through CSR initiatives, to support and sustain research and innovation,
particularly in emerging areas and startups.
In his address, Shri Suman Bery highlighted that translating research into practical applications remains a
key priority. He emphasized the need for institutional structures for mission-mode R&D, including an
enhanced participation of the private sector. He further noted that as research increasingly spans multiple
domains, the need for flexible and responsive systems becomes more evident, as rigid structures can limit
collaboration while adaptable frameworks can open up new avenues of inquiry. He called for taking this
report as a guidance document for improving the overall R&D ecosystem of the country.
The reports provide a comprehensive assessment of India’s R&D ecosystem and outline a set of actionable
recommendations focused on improving funding mechanisms, institutional governance, regulatory
frameworks, and research translation. They underscore the need for a more trust-based, outcome-oriented,
and facilitative environment to enable researchers and institutions to perform at their full potential. With
the release of these reports, NITI Aayog reaffirms its commitment to strengthening India’s research
ecosystem and advancing the country’s vision of becoming a global leader in science, technology, and
innovation. The report is being shared with relevant ministries/ departments.
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