Executive Summary
This report outlines the Ministry of Education's initiatives to strengthen India's research ecosystem under the National Education Policy (NEP 2020). It details significant financial outlays, including a Rs 1-lakh-crore Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme launched in November 2025, and high global rankings in innovation and scientific publications. Key actions focus on increasing industry-academic linkages and providing fellowship support to diverse scholar groups.
Key Points / Main Content
Policy and Financial Framework
NEP 2020 mandates Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to prioritize innovation through incubation centers and frontier research areas.
Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) more than doubled between 2010-11 and 2020-21, reaching Rs. 1,27,380.96 crore.
A total of Rs. 99,494.24 crore was sanctioned for premier technical institutions (IITs, NITs, IIITs, IISERs, and IISc) for the period FY 2020-21 to 2025-26.
Global Achievements and Rankings
India’s Global Innovation Index (GII) rank improved from 81st in 2015 to 38th in 2025.
The nation ranks 3rd globally in Science and Engineering publications (2022) and Ph.D. awards (2022-23).
India reached 6th position globally in patent applications as of 2022.
Major Research Initiatives
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): Established in February 2024 with a Rs 50,000 crore outlay to provide strategic direction and encourage private sector participation.
RDI Scheme: Launched on November 3, 2025, as a Rs 1-lakh-crore initiative to strengthen the R&D landscape.
PMRF Scheme: The Prime Minister’s Research Fellows scheme (outlay of Rs. 1,650 crore) has admitted 3,688 scholars to attract top talent to premier institutions.
Core Research Focus Areas
Activities cover Healthcare & Medtech, Advanced Computing (AI, Quantum, Supercomputing), Semiconductors, Space & Defence, and the Blue Economy.
Impact Analysis
Higher Education Institutions (IITs, NITs, IIITs, IISERs, IISc)Impact
These institutions are designated as the primary hubs for research and innovation, receiving nearly Rs. 1 lakh crore in funding to develop frontier technologies and interdisciplinary studies.
Action Required
Institutions must set up start-up incubation centers, technology development centers, and foster greater industry-academic linkages.
Research Scholars and StudentsImpact
Increased availability of fellowships (NET-JRF, PMRF) and research grants provides significant financial support for advanced studies and Ph.D. completion.
Action Required
Scholars, particularly those from SC, ST, OBC, and PwD categories, should apply for specialized fellowship schemes and join sanctioned research projects to avail themselves of available funding.
Private SectorImpact
The establishment of the ANRF creates a framework for the private sector to contribute a substantive share to the national research budget.
Action Required
Private entities are encouraged to engage in strategic partnerships with HEIs for innovation and entrepreneurship in science and technology.
Key Entities Referenced
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): Established via the ANRF Act 2023 with a budget of Rs 50,000 crores to provide high-level strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in science and technology.
National Education Policy (NEP 2020): A policy framework that directs Higher Education Institutes to prioritize research and innovation through incubation centers and industry-academic linkages.
Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme: A Rs 1-lakh-crore initiative launched to strengthen India’s research and development landscape.
Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme: A scholarship and research grant program designed to attract high-quality researchers to India's premier academic institutions.
University Grants Commission (UGC): The regulatory body responsible for implementing research fellowship schemes like NET-JRF to support scholars in advanced studies and Ph.D. programs.
Ministry of Education
Research Output from Centrally-funded
Institutions
प्रव तथ: 05 AUG 2026 5:51PM by PIB Delhi
Recognising research as a core requisite for quality education, National Education Policy (NEP 2020)
exhorts Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to focus on research and innovation by setting up start-up
incubation centres, technology development centres, centres in frontier areas of research, greater industry-
academic linkages and interdisciplinary research including humanities and social sciences research.
Further, the Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) in the country has been
consistently increasing over the years and has more than doubled from Rs. 60,196.75 crore in 2010-11 to
Rs. 1,27,380.96 crore in 2020-21. The Government has also sanctioned Rs. 99,494.24 crore during the last
five years (FY 2020-21 to 2025-26) for premier technical educational institutions such as Indian Institutes
of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information
Technology (IIITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), and the Indian Institute
of Science (IISc) for teaching, research and innovation. Broadly, research activities in these Higher
Education Institutions cover areas such as Healthcare & Medtech, Advanced Computing
(Supercomputing, AI, and Quantum Computing), Semiconductor, Advanced Materials, Rareearth &
Critical Minerals, Space & Defence and Blue Economy etc.
During the past decade, India's research ecosystem has gained significant global recognition, as
reflected in the following achievements:
(i) Improvement in India's rank in the Global Innovation Index (GII) from 81st in 2015 to 38th in 2025.
(ii) Ranking 3rd globally in terms of total Science and Engineering publications in 2022, compared to 7th
in 2010, as per the National Science Foundation (NSF), United States.
(iii) Ranking 6th globally in the number of patent applications in 2022, improving from 8th position in
2013, as per the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
(iv) Ranking 3rd globally in terms of the number of Ph.Ds. awarded in Science and Engineering, as
reported in Research and Development Statistics at a Glance 2022–23.
To further strengthen the research ecosystem, the Government launched Prime Minister’s Research
Fellows (PMRF) Scheme in 2018-19, to attract the best minds to pursue high - quality research in India's
premier academic institutions, with a total financial outlay of Rs. 1,650 Crores. The scheme was launched
to attract the best and brightest minds to pursue high – quality research in India’s premier academic
institutions with enhanced financial support which includes fellowship and research grant. Under PMRF,
3,688 scholars have been admitted.
Further, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established by the ANRF Act 2023
in February, 2024 with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crores to provide high level strategic direction for research,
innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of science and technology with the provision of substantiveshare of budget contribution from private sector. The Government has also launched the Research
Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme on November 3, 2025, a Rs 1-lakh-crore initiative,
representing a significant move to strengthen India’s research and development landscape.
Research Fellowship/scholarship schemes like NET-JRF are implemented by UGC to provide
opportunities to scholars to undertake advanced studies and research leading to Ph.D. In addition,
fellowships are also offered by different Ministries and Organizations to support the scholars pursuing
PhD. Special fellowships are provided for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes,
Persons with Disabilities and Single Girl Child. The Ph.D. scholars are eligible to join research projects
sanctioned by various funding agencies to the Universities and to avail of funding to support their
research, leading to the award of a Ph.D.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, in a
written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
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