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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION No. *472
ANSWERED ON 25/03/2026
OPERATIONALISATION OF ANUSANDHAN NATIONAL RESEARCH
FOUNDATION
*472. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:
Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to
state:
(a) whether the Government has operationalized the Anusandhan
National Research Foundation aimed at strengthening research and
innovation ecosystem in the country;
(b) the details of funds allocated and released under the Foundation so
far;
(c) whether mechanisms have been put in place to promote
collaboration between academic institutions, research organisations and
industry under the Foundation and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure wider participation of
universities and research institutions across States in research
programmes supported by the Foundation ?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Page 1 of 3STATEMENT AS REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 472 FOR 25.03.2026 REGARDING
“OPERATIONALISATION OF ANUSANDHAN NATIONAL RESEARCH
FOUNDATION”
(a) The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been
operationalized.
The ANRF Act, 2023 was passed by both Houses of Parliament and
received the assent of the Hon’ble President on 12th August 2023. The Act
was notified in the Gazette of India on 14th August 2023 and came into
force with effect from 5th February 2024.
Subsequently, the first meeting of the ANRF Governing Board, chaired by
the Hon’ble Prime Minister was held in September 2024, wherein the
Executive Council was authorised to develop and implement programmes
aligned with the objectives of the Act.
ANRF has since initiated programmes to support both fundamental and
mission-oriented research. Support for investigator-driven research is
being provided through schemes such as Prime Minister’s Early Career
Research Grant (PMECRG), Advance Research Grant (ARG), Inclusivity
Research Grant (IRG) and Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and
Research (PAIR). In addition, mission-mode programmes under the
Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA), including
initiatives in areas such as electric mobility, artificial intelligence,
MedTech and critical raw materials, have been taken up to address
national priorities.
(b) In FY 2025–26, as on 23.03.2026, financial assignments amounting
to ₹961.35 crore have been completed under the budget head of ANRF.
The details are as follows:
(Rupees in crore)
F Y BE RE RECEIVED ASSIGNED
2025-26 ANRF 2000.00 1948.00 1506.00 961.35
(c) The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has put in
place multiple mechanisms to promote collaboration between academic
institutions, research organisations and industry. The ANRF Act provides
enabling provisions for co-funding and joint programmes with
participation from industry and philanthropic partners.
Page 2 of 3ANRF brings together government, academia, industry, start-ups and
international partners under a unified framework and is designing
programmes to facilitate both top-down partnerships with non-
government contributors and bottom-up participation through academia-
led consortia.
Further, collaboration is being actively promoted through mission-mode
programmes under the Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas
(MAHA), where projects are supported in consortium mode with industry
participation, including co-funding. For example: in the Electric Vehicle
(EV) Mission, a network of industry partners has been engaged as co-
creators across the project lifecycle. Similar partnership models have
been extended to other mission-mode programmes and initiatives such as
the ANRF Translational Research and Innovation (ATRI) programme.
In addition, ANRF is undertaking structured engagements with industry,
Corporate R&D, and philanthropic organisations to scale up private sector
participation in research and innovation.
(d) The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has
undertaken several initiatives to ensure wider participation of universities
and research institutions across States.
Under the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR)
programme, a mentorship-driven hub-and-spoke model has been adopted
to strengthen research capacity in relatively less-endowed institutions by
linking them with leading institutions. Seven PAIR networks, comprising
7 hub and 42 spoke institutions, have been approved with funding support
of up to ₹100 crore each over five years. In addition, 11 networks (11 hubs
and 62 spoke institutions) have been provided one-year bridge support to
deepen collaborative engagement.
Further, the Prime Minister Professorship programme has been launched
to place eminent scientists in less-endowed institutions for mentoring and
capacity building. So far, 20 Professorships have been approved across 19
States and one Union Territory.
These initiatives are aimed at promoting inclusive, collaborative and
geographically distributed research participation across the country.
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