Picture for representation. | Photo Credit: Getty Image/Itockphoto
Only one of the four publicly funded research and development organizations in India provides start -ups incubation support and only one of six provides “deep technological” startups. Only 15% cooperated with industry abroad, and only half of them opened their facilities to external scientists and students, reporting a study entered by the Chief Scientific Advisor and conducted by the Indian Industry Confederation (CII) and the Center for Technology, Innovation and Economic Research.
Through a detailed questionnaire, the studies asked the laboratories to evaluate and supply 62 parameters such as their research and development expenditure, the number of young scientists, patents, developed technologies, the participation of female scientists and their contribution to “national missions” such as deep oceans, national quantum missions, etc.
The laboratories of the “strategic sector”, such as laboratories that belong to defense, space, atomic energy research – all represent the share of a lion in Indian overall research and development (research and development) – were excluded from the study because of the “sensitive nature of their work”. The studied laboratories were associated with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, etc.
Expenditure on the Central Government for research and development in 2020-21 was around 55 685 GBP, the number cited in the study and the latest available. With the exception of strategic departments, such as DrDO (Defense), Dae (Atomic Energy) and DOS (Space), the expenses of key scientific agencies and other central governments were 24 587 Crore.
Approximately 25% of the institutions involved said expenditure between 75% and 100% of their research and development budget. Organizations that reported less than the middle share of research and development and S&T (science and technology) in the overall budget were largely of ICAR (agricultural research), CSIR, ICMR (medical research), Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda and traditional medicine) and DST (Science and Technology).
The strength of employees down
A large number of laboratories/institutes showed a reduction in the number of permanent employees in 2022-23 compared to the previous year and an increased addicted dependent-17 234 to 19,625-ass of contractual employees.
In 2022-23, the middle share of young scientists increased to approximately 58 % of 54 % in the previous year. In the previous exercise, for approximately 193 organizations that participated, this number was around 63 % to 65 % for 2017-18 to 2019–202.
“This is the second time we have performed such an analysis. We intend that data from such a study is closely analyzed by institutions so that they can identify the areas of improvement,” Dr. Ajay Sood, the main scientific advisor, “Overall, several scientists seem to focus on innovation centers.”
As part of its recommendation, the report is advocated that each laboratory should be “entrusted to review his existing mandates” and cope with the goals Viksit Bharat. The mandate should focus on “critical technologies” according to the government’s instructions and to be interested in “war position” by publicly funded organizations of research and development. They should work closely with the industry and among themselves.
Published – 29 April 2025 22:28
