India's Quest to Become a Science Superpower: Where Its Research Stands and What It Needs
A detailed analysis looked at how far India has come in scientific research and how far it still is from being a "science superpower" (a country that leads the world in new discoveries and technologies).
It reviewed India's research spending, its output of research papers and patents, and the number of researchers in the country.
Official data released by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in August 2026 show that India's research spending (GERD) reached about 0.84% of GDP in 2023-24. This is still far below leading research nations, which spend 2.5% to 5% of their GDP.
India ranks 3rd in the world in scientific publications and 38th in the Global Innovation Index 2025. This shows real progress, but also a gap between producing papers and producing world-leading technology.
New institutions such as the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund are meant to close this gap, mainly by pulling more private companies into research.
Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD): How a Country's Research Effort Is Measured
Gross Expenditure on Research and Development, or GERD, is the total money a country spends on research and development (R&D) inside its borders in one year. It adds up spending by the government, companies, universities and non-profit bodies. GERD is usually shown as a percentage of GDP, so that countries of different sizes can be compared fairly. It is the most common single number used to judge how seriously a country invests in science and new technology.
The debate on whether India can become a science superpower rests on these numbers. India's GERD has risen to about 0.84% of GDP, and its publication count is now 3rd in the world. But leading nations spend three to six times more of their GDP on research, which is the core gap the analysis highlights.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): India's Apex Body for Funding Research
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation, or ANRF, is India's top body for funding and guiding scientific research. It was created by a law of Parliament in 2023. Its job is to give research money to universities, colleges and labs across the country, and to get private companies to put more money into research. The Prime Minister heads its Governing Board, which shows how much importance the government gives it.
ANRF is India's main answer to the gaps the analysis points out: low research funding, weak research in state universities and poor industry links. How well ANRF delivers will shape whether India can move closer to being a science superpower.
Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund: Low-Cost Money for Private Research
The Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, officially the RDI Scheme, is a ₹1 lakh crore government fund meant to push private companies and startups to do more research. Instead of giving grants, it mainly gives long-term loans at very low or zero interest. It focuses on risky, high-impact technologies in "strategic and sunrise" sectors. It is housed inside the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
The analysis stresses that India cannot become a science superpower without much more research spending by companies. The RDI Fund is the government's biggest tool to make that happen, by giving companies cheap, patient money to turn lab research into products.
- India's GERD: about ₹2.45 lakh crore in 2023-24, about 0.84% of GDP (0.64% in 2020-21)
- Private sector share of GERD: 45.2% in 2023-24 (32.2% in 2020-21)
- About 5 lakh FTE researchers; 354 per million people; women 29% of the R&D workforce
- India: 3rd in scientific publications, 6th in resident patent filings; about 1.10 lakh patents filed in 2024-25
- Global Innovation Index: India 38th in 2025 (46th in 2021)
- R&D share of GDP elsewhere: Israel about 5% or more, South Korea about 5%, USA about 3.5%, Japan about 3.3%, China about 2.4% to 2.7%
- ANRF: created by the ANRF Act, 2023; in force from 1 December 2023; replaced SERB; PM chairs the Governing Board
- RDI Fund: ₹1 lakh crore over six years; approved 1 July 2025; launched 3 November 2025