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.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has reiterated the government's focus on strengthening India's research and innovation ecosystem, stressing that academic research should translate into practical solutions that benefit society.

Addressing the IIT Madras Tech Summit in New Delhi, Pradhan said India's research landscape needs to move beyond academic publications and PhD theses towards innovation-driven outcomes with wider social and economic impact.

Research Must Deliver Practical Innovation

Pradhan emphasised that research should not remain confined to universities and laboratories. According to the minister, the country's research capabilities must increasingly result in technologies, products and solutions that address real-world challenges.

He said the government is working to create an ecosystem that connects academic institutions, industry and startups, allowing promising research to move more effectively towards application and commercialisation.

₹1 Lakh Crore Push for Research and Development

The minister highlighted the government's allocation of ₹1 lakh crore for research and development, aimed at supporting research institutions, startups and industry through various initiatives.

The funding push is part of a broader effort to increase India's capacity in emerging and frontier technologies while encouraging greater collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The government has increasingly identified research, innovation and deep technology as important components of its broader development strategy.

Startups Emerging From Academic Campuses

Pradhan also pointed to the rapid expansion of India's startup ecosystem.

According to figures cited by the minister, the number of startups in the country has grown from a few hundred to more than 2.5 lakh in recent years.

He noted that academic institutions are increasingly becoming sources of new startups and unicorns, highlighting the growing relationship between university research, entrepreneurship and technology development.

The trend is significant because stronger links between campuses and industry can help researchers take innovations beyond laboratories and into the market.

India Improves Global Innovation Ranking

Pradhan also referred to India's progress in the Global Innovation Index, saying the country's ranking has improved from 81st to 38th.

The minister presented the improvement as an indication of India's expanding capabilities in research, technology and innovation.

However, innovation rankings measure several factors across the economy, including research, infrastructure, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs. India's progress therefore reflects a broader ecosystem rather than research performance alone.

Building an Innovation-Led Economy

The government's research agenda increasingly focuses on creating conditions in which universities, startups and established companies can work together on high-impact technologies.

For India, the challenge is now to ensure that increased research investment produces measurable outcomes — including new technologies, intellectual property, startups, industrial applications and solutions to public challenges.

Pradhan's remarks underline the government's stated objective of making research a stronger driver of economic growth and technological development, while positioning academic institutions as important contributors to India's innovation economy.