The vitality inside Bharat Mandapam was unmistakable — a mixture of pleasure, pleasure, and function. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the stage on the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025, he wasn’t simply inaugurating one other authorities initiative. He was laying the inspiration for what may turn out to be one of the crucial transformative actions in India’s innovation story.
PM Modi at Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025
Amid rousing applause, the PrimeMinister introduced the launch of the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, a landmark initiative aimed toward mobilising personal capital into analysis and high-impact applied sciences. The fund, he stated, is designed to act as “risk capital for India’s boldest innovators.”
“These ₹1 lakh crore are for you — to expand your capabilities, to open new opportunities,” PM Modi informed innovators and entrepreneurs. “For the first time, capital is being made available for high-risk, high-impact projects in India’s private sector.”
The Birth of India’s Innovation Powerhouse
The newly launched RDI Fund, operated underneath the Department of Science and Technology (DST), will perform as a catalytic mechanism to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem — particularly the deep-tech and high-impact startup segments.
The fund will comply with a two-tier construction.
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A Special Purpose Fund will probably be established throughout the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), serving because the custodian of the ₹1 lakh crore corpus.
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The ANRF will then channel investments via Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and non-banking entities, which can determine and assist startups engaged on frontier applied sciences.
By encouraging personal sector participation in R&D — historically a public sector stronghold — the RDI Fund represents a paradigm shift. It alerts India’s transition from being a data client to turning into a data creator on the worldwide stage.
‘Ease of Doing Research’: India’s New Mantra
At the center of the announcement was a deeper promise — the dedication to make innovation simpler, sooner, and extra inclusive. PM Modi coined a phrase that resonated with the spirit of the startup ecosystem: “Ease of Doing Research.”
The authorities, he stated, is targeted on guaranteeing that concepts born in Indian labs can swiftly transfer into the market, creating tangible impression. Policy reforms in procurement, monetary guidelines, and incentive buildings have been tailor-made to nurture a extra agile atmosphere for innovation.
India in the present day boasts over 6,000 deep-tech startups, working throughout domains similar to clear vitality, semiconductors, superior supplies, and synthetic intelligence — a leap that displays the nation’s exceptional transformation over the previous decade.
“In the past ten years, India’s R&D spending has doubled, patent registrations have increased 17 times, and startups have emerged as key drivers of innovation,” the Prime Minister famous.
A Showcase of India’s Emerging Tech Prowess
ESTIC 2025 — a first-of-its-kind conclave — has attracted over 3,000 members, together with Nobel Laureates, policymakers, researchers, business leaders, and startup founders. The occasion options 35+ expertise showcases spotlighting India’s capabilities in cutting-edge domains similar to:
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Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technologies
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Space and Satellite Innovation
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Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
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HealthTech and Bio-Manufacturing
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Semiconductor and Electronics Design
The conclave additionally options panel discussions with ladies entrepreneurs, startup founders, and enterprise capitalists, encouraging collaboration between academia, business, and the funding ecosystem. The temper on the occasion mirrored a powerful consensus — that India’s subsequent leap will probably be powered not simply by scale, however by innovation.
India: From Consumer to Creator of Technology
PM Modi’s tackle struck a chord with the viewers when he declared that “India is no longer just a consumer of technology — it is a pioneer of transformation through technology.”
From the fast growth of indigenous COVID-19 vaccines to the creation of Digital Public Infrastructure that has revolutionised governance and fintech, India’s achievements are rewriting world innovation narratives. The latest launch of GSAT-7R, India’s heaviest communication satellite tv for pc, additional exemplifies this technological momentum.
Adding to the long-term imaginative and prescient, PM Modi additionally introduced the institution of the Anusandhan Research Foundation to strengthen innovation at universities, together with the growth of Atal Tinkering Labs from 10,000 to 25,000 labs — a transfer aimed toward nurturing innovation from the grassroots.
Building the Road to ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’
Under the banner “Science, Technology and Innovation for Viksit Bharat 2047”, ESTIC 2025 marks a defining second in India’s journey towards turning into a worldwide innovation powerhouse. The occasion is being held in collaboration with a number of ministries — together with Defence, Electronics & IT, Education, and Agriculture — alongside departments similar to Space, Atomic Energy, and Earth Sciences.
During the occasion, PM Modi unveiled a espresso desk e book on India’s scientific achievements and a imaginative and prescient doc outlining the nation’s future science and expertise roadmap.
India’s Push for Ethical, Human-Centric AI
With Artificial Intelligence rising as a cornerstone of world development, PM Modi emphasised that India’s strategy to AI will probably be each moral and human-centric. He introduced that India will host the Global AI Summit in February 2026, positioning the nation as a frontrunner in shaping accountable innovation frameworks.
“Science must be scaled, innovation must be inclusive, and technology must drive transformation,” he stated, invoking the spirit of “Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan.”
The ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund isn’t nearly numbers. It’s about perception — perception that India’s innovators can dream huge, take dangers, and create applied sciences that redefine world requirements.
If the imaginative and prescient of Viksit Bharat 2047 is India’s collective North Star, this fund may very effectively be the rocket gasoline that powers the journey. As ESTIC 2025 set the stage for this subsequent wave of innovation, one factor was clear — India’s startup-led future has effectively and actually begun.