New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Emerging Science & Technology Innovation Conclave 2025 (ESTIC 2025) at Bharat Mandapam, unveiling a visionary initiative to reshape India’s research and development landscape.
At the event, the Prime Minister announced the launch of a ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Fund, aimed at accelerating private sector-led R&D and driving India’s leadership in deep-tech and emerging technologies.
India is no longer just a consumer of technology, but a pioneer of technological transformation,” PM Modi said, underscoring the country’s rapid rise in global innovation rankings.
The new fund — the largest of its kind in India — will support high-risk, high-impact research projects in collaboration with startups, private firms, and academic institutions. The first phase will include an allocation of ₹20,000 crore in FY 2025-26, focusing on AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.
The three-day ESTIC 2025 conclave brings together over 3,000 participants from academia, industry, and research institutions to explore opportunities in futuristic sectors including space technologies, blue economy, bio-manufacturing, and sustainable agriculture.
PM Modi highlighted that the initiative aligns with India’s ambition to become a global innovation hub, adding that the Fund will make research more inclusive and market-ready.
This will help turn India’s young innovators into world-class creators. The time has come for India’s research ecosystem to lead, not follow,” he said.
With this landmark move, India aims to unlock a new era of science-driven growth — bridging laboratories with industries and setting the stage for the nation’s transformation into a global powerhouse of innovation.
