"The government is backing risk-now industry must lead"

As Secretary of the Department of Science & Technology, Dr Abhay Karandikar is shaping India's innovation agenda at a defining moment.

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DR ABHAY KARANDIKAR Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India

The Rs 1 lakh crore Research Development & Innovation (RDI) scheme, part of the ANRF framework, is the first of its kind to back private sector R&D at scale, especially in deep tech. In this interview with Shubhendu Parth, he explains the rationale behind the two-tier funding model, timelines for implementation, and how the scheme will catalyse private investment, innovation, and India's global standing in emerging technologies like 6G. Excerpts:

The Rs 1 lakh crore Research Development & Innovation (RDI) scheme is a first-of-its-kind fund by the Indian government to support private sector R&D. How will it be implemented?

The RDI scheme is among the most transformative initiatives launched by the Government of India. Its objective is to strengthen private-sector R&D in cutting-edge and deep-tech areas. It will be implemented as a special-purpose fund within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The fund will appoint second-level fund managers—these could be alternative investment funds, development financial institutions, or specialised research organisations. These managers will identify and select specific R&D projects from private companies or startups aligned with the government-approved list of sunrise sectors.

Financial support will come either as concessional unsecured loans for corporates or equity investments for startups—or a mix of both. The priority sectors include clean energy, energy transition, robotics, drones, space, defence, quantum, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, and pharmaceuticals.

Why did the government opt for a two-tier structure instead of a direct sovereign tech fund?