Ahmedabad: The state govt on Sunday unveiled the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy 2026-31 as a part of the Gujarat Semiconnect Conference at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The spotlight of the brand new policy, changing the one launched in 2018, is the Rs 1,000 crore Swadeshi Anusandhan Fund.Senior officers of the division of science and expertise (DST) stated that the fund is geared toward accelerating indigenous analysis and lowering import dependence in strategic and frontier sectors, together with synthetic intelligence, semiconductors, quantum applied sciences, biotechnology, inexperienced power, defence applied sciences, immersive applied sciences and area applied sciences, with greater than 100 high-impact analysis tasks to be supported yearly.Apart from selling creating sectors similar to blockchain, IoT and edge computing, the policy additionally goals to spice up innovation in Gujarat’s robust industrial sectors similar to chemical compounds and petrochemicals, prescription drugs, ceramics, and agro and meals processing, in keeping with the policy doc.The policy additionally introduced the creation of Gujarat Rajya Research & Innovation Clusters (GRRIC), the place particular areas will probably be motivated to share sources and strengthen trade ties. It was initiated with the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad area and can quickly be prolonged to the Vadodara-Surat and Rajkot-Bhavnagar-Juagadh-Jamnagar clusters, officers stated.The policy goals to help 250 fellows beneath Junior, Senior and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, and a devoted innovation fellowship for ladies. The policy additionally features a unified Gujarat R&D portal and a large-scale STEM engagement initiative.“The policy entails deploying mobile science laboratories, in addition to science city and district science centres, as part of an outreach initiative. The state targets over 1,000 intellectual property (IP) filings, including 500 patents, to enhance industry-academia collaboration,” stated a senior DST official.The policy additionally goals to extend the analysis and growth (R&D) allocation and expenditure for STI from the present 0.65% to 1% of the gross state home product (GSDP).