Public R&D units innovate enough?

• A study by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Economic Research has evaluated public-funded research and development in India.

• The study involved 244 R&D organizations affiliated to various ministries.

• The research aimed to assess whether these labs were primarily engaged in curiosity-driven academic science or geared towards developing products and innovations that aligned with industry demands.

• The study aimed to guide public-funded R&D labs to increase their contributions towards Sustainable Development Goals and national priorities, help the nation navigate socio-economic challenges, and contribute to skilling and creating meaningful employment.

• Findings revealed that only 25% of the labs surveyed provided incubation support to startups, 16% provided support to ‘deep tech’ startups, and only half opened their facilities to researchers and students from outside.

• The report also found a decrease in the number of permanent staff and an increased reliance on contractual staff.

• The report recommends that every lab should review their existing mandates and align themselves to ‘Viksit Bharat’, focusing on “critical technologies” as directed by the government.