Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that the government is committed to making India a global innovation hub. Speaking at the concluding session of the Post-Budget Webinar 2025 on “Investing in Innovation,” the Minister said that 20 thousand crore rupees were allocated for Research, Development, and Innovation in the Union Budget 2025-26.
He said it will drive cutting-edge research and technological advancements, particularly in deep-tech sectors. He further asserted that India achieved a global rank of 3 in startups in the last decade. Dr Singh mentioned that the nation has made significant strides in innovation, with patent grants increasing 17 times since 2014 and the position in the Global Innovation Index rising from 81st to 39th among 133 economies.
The Minister added that India’s agricultural security is also receiving a boost, with India’s National Gene Bank being the second-largest globally and preserving over 4.7 lakh accessions of around 2,147 species. Dr. Singh underscored that these initiatives will strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem and encourage private sector investments in critical domains like semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, 5G, and quantum computing.
