India’s Great Vision Meets a Research Deficit

India has articulated ambitious visions for economic growth, technological leadership, and global innovation — ranging from Viksit Bharat 2047 goals to becoming a science and technology powerhouse. Yet, a closer look at research and development (R&D) metrics reveals a significant research deficit that could undermine these aspirations.

Low R&D Investment Relative to GDP

A persistent challenge in India’s innovation ecosystem is low investment in R&D. Gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) in India has grown in absolute terms — doubling from around ₹60,196 crore in 2010-11 to over ₹127,380 crore in 2020-21 — yet as a percentage of GDP it remains modest. India’s R&D spending sits at around 0.6–0.7% of GDP, significantly below the global average of about 1.8% and well under the levels seen in countries like South Korea (≈4.8%) and the United States (≈3.5%). 

Global Comparison Shows a Gap

This funding gap translates into weaker infrastructure, fewer research outputs per capita, and slower innovation cycles. For example:

• India spends approximately 0.65% of GDP on R&D, while peer and advanced economies allocate multiple percentage points of their GDP to research.

• Relative researcher intensity — measured as full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers per million people — is only about 255 in India, compared with 4,452 in the USA and 1,307 in China. 

Human Capital and Research Output Constraints

India’s research ecosystem also faces human capital challenges. Despite a large population and a robust higher education system, the number of scientists actively engaged in research is comparatively low:

• Only around 10,000 individuals in India are pursuing science PhDs, despite a population of 1.4 billion, whereas countries like the United States have several times that number with a much smaller population. 

• India’s research publication output is modest compared to global leaders, with roughly 280,000 papers, trailing behind China’s ~1,000,000 and the US’s ~700,000.

Private Sector & Industry Linkages Lag

The private sector’s contribution to R&D in India remains limited at around 36–37% of GERD, compared to more than 68% in economies like the US. This reflects a broader challenge in industry-academia linkages, with weak collaborations limiting the translation of scientific research into commercial innovation. 

Indian firms, on average, spend only 3–5% of their budgets on R&D, a figure cited by industry leaders as insufficient to drive innovation at scale. 

Policy Efforts and New Funds

Recognising the deficit, the government has introduced new initiatives such as the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation to stimulate research investment, particularly in deep technology areas. A ₹1 lakh crore RDI fund aims to expand private sector engagement in advanced research domains like AI, quantum computing, and robotics. 

Addressing the research deficit is critical for India to convert its vision into tangible outcomes in science, technology, and economic growth. Without stronger investment and systemic reforms, India risks:

• Losing talent to countries with stronger research ecosystems (brain drain),

• Falling behind in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology,

• Struggling to meet global innovation benchmarks and compete internationally.

From global rankings to patent activity and deep-tech innovation, the contrast is stark — innovation leadership requires not just grand visions but a robust foundation of research financing, talent development, and industry integration.

India’s great vision for growth and innovation is clear; however, the research deficit — reflected in low R&D spending, weak private sector involvement, and limited researcher numbers — poses a structural challenge that policymakers, academia, and industry must address in tandem to secure the nation’s future as a global leader in science and technology.