New Delhi, November 3, 2025: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave 2025 (ESTIC 2025) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, announcing a Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme worth ₹1 lakh crore (approximately USD 12 billion) to accelerate India’s scientific and technological progress. The scheme is designed to strengthen a private sector-driven research ecosystem and enhance the nation’s capacity for high-impact innovation. Addressing scientists, innovators, academics and industry leaders, Prime Minister Modi said the initiative would build a “modern ecosystem for innovation” by improving the ease of doing research and facilitating faster transitions of ideas and prototypes from laboratories to market.
He noted that India’s innovation landscape is evolving rapidly, supported by regulatory reforms, institutional investments and a growing emphasis on collaboration between government, academia and industry. Modi said India has moved from being a consumer of technology to a pioneer of technological transformation, crediting the country’s digital public infrastructure the world’s largest for enabling inclusive development. He pointed out that India’s R&D expenditure has doubled in the past decade, while patent registrations have increased 17-fold. The country has now emerged as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with more than 6,000 deep-tech startups working in advanced materials, clean energy, biotechnology and quantum computing.
The Prime Minister stated that the government is committed to supporting high-risk, high-impact research projects through capital funding, marking a first for India’s innovation policy. He added that the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, along with the new RDI Scheme, will provide an integrated structure to scale up scientific research at universities and national institutions. These measures, he said, would create the foundation for sustained technological growth and global competitiveness. Highlighting India’s advances in sunrise sectors such as green hydrogen, semiconductor manufacturing, deep-sea research and critical minerals, Modi said the country has significantly expanded its scientific footprint.
India’s advancements in green hydrogen and quantum sectors
He congratulated scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the recent successful launch of India’s heaviest communication satellite, describing it as a milestone in the country’s pursuit of excellence in space technology. The Prime Minister placed strong emphasis on inclusive innovation, noting that women now represent 43 percent of all STEM enrolments in India, surpassing the global average. He added that annual patent filings by women have grown from fewer than 100 a decade ago to more than 5,000 today, reflecting increasing female participation in research and technology.
On artificial intelligence, Modi announced that India will host the Global AI Summit in February 2026 and will release a new AI Governance Framework focused on ethical and human-centric AI. He said the government aims to ensure that AI innovation and safety progress together, with equitable access to its benefits. Under the India AI Mission, investments exceeding ₹10,000 crore (about USD 1.2 billion) are being made to expand national AI capabilities. Calling on researchers to address pressing challenges, the Prime Minister urged innovation in bio-fortified crops, low-cost soil enhancers, clean energy storage and genomic mapping for personalized medicine. He emphasized the importance of identifying and reducing dependencies in critical input sectors to achieve technological self-reliance.
India advances sustainable innovation and clean energy goals
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to research funding and institutional support, Modi concluded his remarks by invoking “Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan” and expressed confidence that the conclave will produce a collective roadmap to advance India’s global innovation standing. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, and Nobel Laureate Sir Andre Geim attended the event. ESTIC 2025, held from November 3 to 5, hosts over 3,000 delegates from academia, industry and government to deliberate on 11 focus areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced materials, semiconductors, bio-manufacturing, energy, environment and quantum technologies. The conclave is positioned to reinforce India’s growing role as a leader in science, research and innovation.