Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has called for a shift in India's research ecosystem from measuring academic output through publications and patents to delivering technologies, products and solutions with real-world impact.
Addressing the first IIT Madras Technology Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Pradhan said India's research capabilities must increasingly translate into innovations that address societal and national priorities. The summit, held under the theme “From IITM. For Bharat. Building Together,” brought together government, academia and industry to explore technology-led pathways for a Viksit Bharat.
Research Must Move Beyond Academic Papers
Pradhan said research should not remain confined to academic theses and publications. He argued that the stronger measure of a mature innovation ecosystem is its ability to convert research into deployable products, scalable technologies and solutions that benefit society.
The minister also pointed to the need for greater domestic investment in technologies developed by Indian researchers. According to the government, around 70% of India's research investment currently comes from the public sector, highlighting the importance of expanding industry participation.
₹1 Lakh Crore RDI Fund to Strengthen Innovation
The government has committed a ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund to strengthen research capacity and encourage greater private-sector participation.
The RDI scheme has been designed as a six-year corpus, with financial support primarily planned through long-term, low-interest financing, while equity support can also be considered for startups. The scheme targets high-risk and high-impact research and development.
The fund covers areas including deep technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, digital economy, energy transition and technologies considered strategically important for India's economic and technological self-reliance.
IITs Emerging as Innovation Engines
The Education Ministry is increasingly positioning higher education institutions, particularly IITs, as hubs where research can move from laboratories towards commercial and societal applications.
At the IIT Madras summit, the institute highlighted its research-driven innovation ecosystem and industry partnerships. The event also saw the launch of research centres in areas including cardiovascular research, robotic-assisted surgery and resource efficiency and circularity in energy transition.
IIT Madras also announced Bodhan AI, a Centre of Excellence supported by the Ministry of Education, adding to its wider research infrastructure.
Industry-Academia Partnerships in Focus
The summit brought government, academic institutions and companies together with the objective of strengthening the connection between research and industrial deployment.
Partnerships involving NTPC, BPCL and HSBC were announced at the summit for dedicated research centres. The initiatives are intended to support work in healthcare technologies, robotics and sustainable technologies while creating stronger pathways between academic research and industry requirements.
The model reflects a broader government push to encourage institutions to work with industry rather than develop technologies in isolation.
Deep-Tech Startups and Research Commercialisation
The government's innovation strategy also places significant emphasis on startups emerging from academic and research ecosystems.
The Ministry of Education's Bharat Innovates programme, for example, has been designed to connect deep-tech innovators with investors, industry and institutions. A March 2026 pre-summit at IIT Bombay featured around 137 deep-tech startups selected from more than 3,000 applications.
Such initiatives are intended to help bridge the gap between laboratory research, investment and eventual commercial deployment.
Focus Shifts From Research Metrics to Impact
Pradhan's message at the IIT Madras summit reflects a wider policy shift in India's research agenda: the objective is no longer only to increase the volume of research, but also to improve its ability to generate practical outcomes.
With the RDI Fund, industry partnerships, Centres of Excellence and deep-tech programmes being developed simultaneously, the government is seeking to build an ecosystem in which universities, startups and companies can jointly take technologies from research stages towards deployment.
For India, the larger challenge will be ensuring that increased research funding translates into commercially viable technologies, stronger intellectual property, high-quality jobs and solutions to public and industrial problems.
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