As Prime Minister Narendra Modi enters into his 75th year on Wednesday, one recalls his respect for India’s cultural heritage as also his drive for innovation for the country's future. It is his vision for India’s future, which is integral to his dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’ in 2047.
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PM Modi has long championed innovation as the cornerstone of India's journey towards becoming a developed nation. India under his leadership is undergoing a transformative shift, evolving from a technology consumer to a global leader in high-tech innovation. This commitment has culminated in the July 2025 approval of the Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, a transformative initiative poised to redefine India's high-tech landscape.
From targeted deep-tech investments and AI infrastructure to democratized research access and global collaboration, PM Modi’s government is redefining how India innovates. The focus on readiness and disruption is enabling Indian researchers, startups, and institutions to break global barriers and contribute meaningfully to future technologies.
These landmark initiatives are not just about technological progress; they are about empowering Indian talent and placing India among the global R&D leaders.
The RDI Scheme: Unlocking India’s High-Tech Potential
- Backed by a massive ₹1 lakh crore fund, the RDI scheme marks a decisive shift in India’s approach by placing private sector-led high-tech research and innovation at the centre of its growth strategy.
- It empowers the private sector to dream big, not just in conventional fields, but in transformative areas like advanced manufacturing, defence technology, and green energy that can shape the nation’s destiny.
- Unlike previous programs that spread resources thinly across early-stage concepts, the RDI Scheme focuses on projects that are close to real-world application, maximizing their potential impact.
- The inclusion of a dedicated Deep-Tech Fund of Funds underscores the government’s intent to lead in frontier technologies, like semiconductors, advanced robotics, and green hydrogen, crucial for generating high-skilled jobs and securing India's technological sovereignty.
Vigyan Dhara: Streamlining Research and Development in India
- In a key step to strengthen India’s science and technology ecosystem, PM Modi approved the unification of three major umbrella schemes under a single central sector initiative, ‘Vigyan Dhara’, with a total outlay of ₹10,579.84 crore.
- Consolidated three major schemes are S&T Institutional and Human Capacity Building, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation, Technology Development, and Deployment; focused on strengthening research infrastructure and nurturing scientific talent, supporting basic and translational research and to drive innovation at all levels.
- The budget has witnessed a substantial rise from ₹330.75 crore in 2024–25 to ₹1,425.00 crore in 2025–26. As of March 2025, 57,869 individual beneficiaries have availed the scheme.
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ANRF: Making India a Knowledge-Driven Economy
- In July 2024 the Modi government announced operationalising the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
- The ANRF aims to receive funds amounting to ₹50,000 crore during 2023–28.
- The ANRF is designed to fund, coordinate, and elevate research across universities and colleges nationwide, with a particular focus on institutions that have historically lacked robust infrastructure, especially those in the state-run sector.
- This move aligns India with global research leaders such as the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Israel, and represents a critical step towards building a knowledge-driven economy.
- Recently ANRF has announced the selection of seven PAIR Networks (7 hubs and 45 spoke institutions) under its flagship initiative; PAIR program.
India’s AI Breakthrough: Powering the Future with Affordable Innovation
- India is witnessing a transformative revolution in Artificial Intelligence, and at the heart of this change is the visionary leadership of PM Modi.
- For the first time in India’s history, the government is directly fostering an AI ecosystem where computing power, GPUs, and research opportunities are available at an affordable cost.
- India’s national compute capacity has now crossed 34,000 GPUs. The total in the IndiaAI compute portal is 34,333 units, at subsidised rates of ₹67 per hour, substantially below the average market rate of ₹115 per GPU hour.
- It is about 9X of what Open Source Model DeepSeek has and about two-thirds of what ChatGPT has.
- While global GPU access costs around US $2.5–$3 per hour, the Modi government will offer it at just $1 per hour. Researchers, startups, academicians, colleges, IITs — all of them can have access to this compute power, and they can start foundational models.
- To ensure inclusive access to AI education, the government is setting up Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. A model IndiaAI Data Lab has already been established at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) in Delhi.
National Quantum Mission: India’s Leap into the Quantum Future
- The NQM reflects the Modi government’s strategic understanding that quantum technologies, ranging from quantum computing and secure communication to advanced sensing, will be fundamental to the next wave of technological disruption.
- The National Quantum Mission (NQM) in India aims to promote research and development in quantum technologies, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and leadership in this field.
- It targets the development of intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50–1000 qubits in 8 years, and quantum communication with complete quantum key distribution.
- The mission will provide a great fillip to invention of new products and services as well as create world-class startups, HRD, and international collaborations.
National Supercomputing Mission: Powering India's Future
- The National Supercomputing Mission is a cornerstone of India's ambition to build self-reliant, high-end computational capability.
- The Mission envisages empowering national academic and R&D institutions spread over the country by installing supercomputers of various capacities.
- NSM has created opportunities for researchers from Tier II and Tier III cities to conduct research by providing access to state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities.
- These researchers have completed over 1 crore compute jobs and published more than 1,500 papers in leading national and international journals.
- In 2024, PM Modi dedicated three indigenous PARAM Rudra supercomputers.
- In 2019, PM Modi inaugurated the Mission’s first indigenously built supercomputer ‘Param Shivay’ at IIT BHU, Varanasi.
- A total of 34 supercomputers with a combined compute capacity of 35 Petaflops have been deployed.
National Green Hydrogen Mission: Green Future Through Innovation
- The NGHM aims to make India the global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
- A public-private partnership framework for R&D (Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership – SHIP) is facilitated under the Mission.
- The R&D Scheme will be implemented with a total budgetary outlay of ₹400 crore.
- The framework will entail creation of a dedicated R&D fund, with contributions from industry and respective government institutions.
Strategic Milestones Fostering Research Environment
- The substantial increase in gross expenditure on research and development from ₹60,000 crore in 2013–14 to ₹1.25 lakh crore reflects the Modi government’s readiness to foster a research-driven environment.
- The establishment of state-of-the-art research parks, and the creation of Research and Development Cells in nearly 6,000 higher education institutions will strengthen India's research ecosystem to achieve national goals.
- The One Nation, One Subscription initiative democratizes access to scholarly research, benefiting 1.8 crore students and researchers across over 6,300 institutions.
- There has been rapid development of innovation culture in India, the increase in patent filings from around 40,000 in 2014 to over 80,000, reflecting the support provided by the intellectual property ecosystem to the youth.
- Before 2014, there were only 3 research parks in the country's top educational institutions, which have now increased to 6. With the collective efforts of the Government of India, 13 new research parks have been envisioned.
Building a Self-Reliant India Through Science & Disruption
- PM Modi’s leadership has not only positioned Research & Development (R&D) in high-end technologies as a national priority but has inspired a generation of youth to become “Ready and Disruptive” in their approach to solving complex challenges.
- The commissioning of the world’s longest hyperloop test track, a 422-meter marvel capable of achieving speeds up to 1,000+ kmph, built at IIT Madras in partnership with Indian Railways, is a symbol of what Indian minds can achieve when empowered by institutional and government support.
- The nanotechnology developed by scientists at IISc Bangalore to control light at the nano-scale and the ‘brain on a chip’ technology, capable of storing and processing data across 16,000+ conduction states in a molecular film, is a significant milestone.
- The development of India’s first indigenous MRI machine shows the country's growing self-reliance in high-end medical technology.
- India's university campuses are emerging as dynamic centres. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, 54 Indian institutions were featured, marking a significant increase from the 11 institutions in 2014.
India’s Digital Creativity Boom: Gaming, Graphics & AVGC-XR
- One of the most exciting avenues opened under PM Modi’s tenure is India’s emergence as a hub for digital creativity. The creative industries, particularly gaming and visual graphics, are emerging as key avenues for youth employment and cultural diplomacy.
- The Modi government approved the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) in Mumbai.
- This National Centre of Excellence, dedicated to advancing the AVGC-XR ecosystem, was formally launched at the WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai. The centre collaborated with studios working on Game of Thrones-level visual graphics, bringing India into the global spotlight as a post-production and design powerhouse.
- With 442 million gamers, India is the second-largest gaming market in the world. India’s gaming industry is poised for significant expansion, with revenue projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2025 and employment opportunities expected to grow to 250,000 jobs.
- Prime Minister Modi’s interaction with prominent Indian gamers in April 2024 exemplified his hands-on approach to engaging with youth in emerging sectors.
The Atmanirbhar Arsenal: Budgeting for Sovereignty
- PM Modi’s Make in India mission in defence was not just a slogan, it was a strategy backed by budget, policy, and vision. In FY 2025–26, India’s defence budget surged to ₹6.81 lakh crore, a huge leap from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14.
- This increase wasn’t just about purchasing more, it was about creating infrastructure, incentivising R&D, and ensuring the armed forces had real-time access to indigenous, world-class capabilities.
- Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. Key acquisitions and developments include:
- The ₹35,000 crore deal for five S-400 squadrons, signed in 2018, with three squadrons now operational along the borders with China and Pakistan. Remaining two are expected next year.
- Deployment of Barak-8 Missiles (MR-SAM), $2.5 billion deal signed in 2017 with Israel, now actively guarding frontline bases like Bhatinda. Indigenous Akash missile batteries and DRDO-developed counter-drone systems.
- Man Portable Counter Drone Systems (MPCDS) to jam and disable hostile UAVs installed in 2024. Strategic reforms, private sector participation, and strong R&D have driven indigenous development of advanced defence platforms.
- Key systems include Dhanush Artillery, ATAGS, MBT Arjun, LCA Tejas, ALH, LUH, Akash Missiles, Weapon Locating Radar, and SDR. Major acquisitions like LCH Prachand and ATAGS underline the growing shift toward self-reliance in military capability.
Drone Sector
- In drones, PM Modi did what few imagined; he opened the sector to start-ups, turning India into a global drone innovation hub. From defence to agriculture, this shift is already paying strategic dividends.
- During ongoing Operation Sindoor, indigenous drone start-ups played a key role in ISR and precision missions. Just recently, two BITS Pilani students received Army approval for their indigenously developed kamikaze drone, a striking symbol of Modi-era innovation.
- On the civilian side, the NaMo Drone Didi initiative is empowering women as drone pilots for agricultural spraying, transforming rural livelihoods and making precision farming accessible to the grassroots.
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ANRF: Making India a Knowledge-Driven Economy
- In July 2024 the Modi government announced operationalising the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
- The ANRF aims to receive funds amounting to ₹50,000 crore during 2023–28.
- The ANRF is designed to fund, coordinate, and elevate research across universities and colleges nationwide, with a particular focus on institutions that have historically lacked robust infrastructure, especially those in the state-run sector.
- This move aligns India with global research leaders such as the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Israel, and represents a critical step towards building a knowledge-driven economy.
- Recently ANRF has announced the selection of seven PAIR Networks (7 hubs and 45 spoke institutions) under its flagship initiative; PAIR program.
India’s AI Breakthrough: Powering the Future with Affordable Innovation
- India is witnessing a transformative revolution in Artificial Intelligence, and at the heart of this change is the visionary leadership of PM Modi.
- For the first time in India’s history, the government is directly fostering an AI ecosystem where computing power, GPUs, and research opportunities are available at an affordable cost.
- India’s national compute capacity has now crossed 34,000 GPUs. The total in the IndiaAI compute portal is 34,333 units, at subsidised rates of ₹67 per hour, substantially below the average market rate of ₹115 per GPU hour.
- It is about 9X of what Open Source Model DeepSeek has and about two-thirds of what ChatGPT has.
- While global GPU access costs around US $2.5–$3 per hour, the Modi government will offer it at just $1 per hour. Researchers, startups, academicians, colleges, IITs — all of them can have access to this compute power, and they can start foundational models.
- To ensure inclusive access to AI education, the government is setting up Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. A model IndiaAI Data Lab has already been established at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) in Delhi.
National Quantum Mission: India’s Leap into the Quantum Future
- The NQM reflects the Modi government’s strategic understanding that quantum technologies, ranging from quantum computing and secure communication to advanced sensing, will be fundamental to the next wave of technological disruption.
- The National Quantum Mission (NQM) in India aims to promote research and development in quantum technologies, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and leadership in this field.
- It targets the development of intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50–1000 qubits in 8 years, and quantum communication with complete quantum key distribution.
- The mission will provide a great fillip to invention of new products and services as well as create world-class startups, HRD, and international collaborations.
National Supercomputing Mission: Powering India's Future
- The National Supercomputing Mission is a cornerstone of India's ambition to build self-reliant, high-end computational capability.
- The Mission envisages empowering national academic and R&D institutions spread over the country by installing supercomputers of various capacities.
- NSM has created opportunities for researchers from Tier II and Tier III cities to conduct research by providing access to state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities.
- These researchers have completed over 1 crore compute jobs and published more than 1,500 papers in leading national and international journals.
- In 2024, PM Modi dedicated three indigenous PARAM Rudra supercomputers.
- In 2019, PM Modi inaugurated the Mission’s first indigenously built supercomputer ‘Param Shivay’ at IIT BHU, Varanasi.
- A total of 34 supercomputers with a combined compute capacity of 35 Petaflops have been deployed.
National Green Hydrogen Mission: Green Future Through Innovation
- The NGHM aims to make India the global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
- A public-private partnership framework for R&D (Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership – SHIP) is facilitated under the Mission.
- The R&D Scheme will be implemented with a total budgetary outlay of ₹400 crore.
- The framework will entail creation of a dedicated R&D fund, with contributions from industry and respective government institutions.
Strategic Milestones Fostering Research Environment
- The substantial increase in gross expenditure on research and development from ₹60,000 crore in 2013–14 to ₹1.25 lakh crore reflects the Modi government’s readiness to foster a research-driven environment.
- The establishment of state-of-the-art research parks, and the creation of Research and Development Cells in nearly 6,000 higher education institutions will strengthen India's research ecosystem to achieve national goals.
- The One Nation, One Subscription initiative democratizes access to scholarly research, benefiting 1.8 crore students and researchers across over 6,300 institutions.
- There has been rapid development of innovation culture in India, the increase in patent filings from around 40,000 in 2014 to over 80,000, reflecting the support provided by the intellectual property ecosystem to the youth.
- Before 2014, there were only 3 research parks in the country's top educational institutions, which have now increased to 6. With the collective efforts of the Government of India, 13 new research parks have been envisioned.
Building a Self-Reliant India Through Science & Disruption
- PM Modi’s leadership has not only positioned Research & Development (R&D) in high-end technologies as a national priority but has inspired a generation of youth to become “Ready and Disruptive” in their approach to solving complex challenges.
- The commissioning of the world’s longest hyperloop test track, a 422-meter marvel capable of achieving speeds up to 1,000+ kmph, built at IIT Madras in partnership with Indian Railways, is a symbol of what Indian minds can achieve when empowered by institutional and government support.
- The nanotechnology developed by scientists at IISc Bangalore to control light at the nano-scale and the ‘brain on a chip’ technology, capable of storing and processing data across 16,000+ conduction states in a molecular film, is a significant milestone.
- The development of India’s first indigenous MRI machine shows the country's growing self-reliance in high-end medical technology.
- India's university campuses are emerging as dynamic centres. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, 54 Indian institutions were featured, marking a significant increase from the 11 institutions in 2014.
India’s Digital Creativity Boom: Gaming, Graphics & AVGC-XR
- One of the most exciting avenues opened under PM Modi’s tenure is India’s emergence as a hub for digital creativity. The creative industries, particularly gaming and visual graphics, are emerging as key avenues for youth employment and cultural diplomacy.
- The Modi government approved the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) in Mumbai.
- This National Centre of Excellence, dedicated to advancing the AVGC-XR ecosystem, was formally launched at the WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai. The centre collaborated with studios working on Game of Thrones-level visual graphics, bringing India into the global spotlight as a post-production and design powerhouse.
- With 442 million gamers, India is the second-largest gaming market in the world. India’s gaming industry is poised for significant expansion, with revenue projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2025 and employment opportunities expected to grow to 250,000 jobs.
- Prime Minister Modi’s interaction with prominent Indian gamers in April 2024 exemplified his hands-on approach to engaging with youth in emerging sectors.
The Atmanirbhar Arsenal: Budgeting for Sovereignty
- PM Modi’s Make in India mission in defence was not just a slogan, it was a strategy backed by budget, policy, and vision. In FY 2025–26, India’s defence budget surged to ₹6.81 lakh crore, a huge leap from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14.
- This increase wasn’t just about purchasing more, it was about creating infrastructure, incentivising R&D, and ensuring the armed forces had real-time access to indigenous, world-class capabilities.
- Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. Key acquisitions and developments include:
- The ₹35,000 crore deal for five S-400 squadrons, signed in 2018, with three squadrons now operational along the borders with China and Pakistan. Remaining two are expected next year.
- Deployment of Barak-8 Missiles (MR-SAM), $2.5 billion deal signed in 2017 with Israel, now actively guarding frontline bases like Bhatinda. Indigenous Akash missile batteries and DRDO-developed counter-drone systems.
- Man Portable Counter Drone Systems (MPCDS) to jam and disable hostile UAVs installed in 2024. Strategic reforms, private sector participation, and strong R&D have driven indigenous development of advanced defence platforms.
- Key systems include Dhanush Artillery, ATAGS, MBT Arjun, LCA Tejas, ALH, LUH, Akash Missiles, Weapon Locating Radar, and SDR. Major acquisitions like LCH Prachand and ATAGS underline the growing shift toward self-reliance in military capability.
Drone Sector
- In drones, PM Modi did what few imagined; he opened the sector to start-ups, turning India into a global drone innovation hub. From defence to agriculture, this shift is already paying strategic dividends.
- During ongoing Operation Sindoor, indigenous drone start-ups played a key role in ISR and precision missions. Just recently, two BITS Pilani students received Army approval for their indigenously developed kamikaze drone, a striking symbol of Modi-era innovation.
- On the civilian side, the NaMo Drone Didi initiative is empowering women as drone pilots for agricultural spraying, transforming rural livelihoods and making precision farming accessible to the grassroots.
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By launching signature schemes in key sectors, PM Modi is aiming to build an industrial-military complex in India and reduce dependence as well as technological leverage of third countries. He wants India to be on top of the ongoing fourth industrial revolution.
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