India's R&D Ecosystem Faces Hurdles On Path To Knowledge Economy

India wants to become a country whose economy depends strongly on knowledge and technology.

To do that, it needs to spend more money on research and development.

At present, most research money comes from the government, while private companies contribute much less.

Universities often focus on papers and academic success, while companies focus on products that can be sold.

This creates a gap between ideas developed in laboratories and useful products in the market.

The hardest stage is called the “valley of death,” when inventions need large amounts of money for testing and building prototypes.

The government has created programmes such as BIRAC, IMPRINT, and the ANRF to help bridge this gap.

The ANRF also plans to connect leading institutions with state universities, although much of its funding is currently concentrated in the IITs.

India’s success will depend on stronger cooperation among universities, companies, and the government.