Govt to invest Rs. 3600 Cr on R&D, innovation and start-up ecosystem

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 3: The Government of India has approved a National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems with an investment of over Rs. 3600 crores. The Mission will cover in a seamless way, R&D, Technology Development, Human resources and Skills, Innovation, Start-up Ecosystem and strong Industry and International Collaborations.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi delivering the inaugural address at the 106th session of the Indian Science Congress said that India's true strength will be in connecting its science, technology and innovation, with its people.

“The life and works of hundreds of Indian Scientists are a compelling testament of integration of deep fundamental insights with technology development and nation-building. It is through our modern temples of science that India is transforming its present and working to secure its future,” the Prime Minister said.

Noting that India’s strength in research and development are built on the backbone of our national laboratories, central universities, IITs, IISC, TIFR and IISERs, Prime Minister said that a strong research ecosystem must be developed in the State Universities and Colleges, as well.

Speaking about the ‘Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council’ he said that the Council will help formulate appropriate Science and Technology interventions, catalyze collaborations across stakeholder Ministries and implement multi-stakeholder policy initiatives.

Modi said, “We have launched the ‘Prime Minister’s Research Fellows’ Scheme under which, a thousand bright minds from the best Institutions in the country will be offered direct admission in Ph.D. Programs in IITs and IISc, the Prime Minister said. The scheme will catalyze quality research and address the shortage of faculty in the premier Educational Institutions, he added.”