India's 2025-26 budget: Research gets whopping 57% boost
For 2025-26, India's government is pouring ₹65,307 crore into scientific research—a huge 57% jump from the 2024-25 allocation.
The Department of Science and Technology scored the biggest share at ₹28,508.9 crore, with the Department of Space close behind at ₹13,416.2 crore.
State of research funding at state level
State governments aren't sitting this out—they invested a combined ₹8,476 crore in research in FY23.
Uttar Pradesh led the pack with over ₹1,000 crore.
Despite these efforts, though, R&D spending as a percent of GDP dipped slightly from 0.66% to 0.64%.
Focus on deep tech and private sector innovation
India's putting serious cash into deep tech like AI and robotics—think partnerships with IITs and IISc, plus a dedicated ₹3,660 crore for AI projects.
There's also a fresh ₹20,000 crore set aside to spark private sector innovation and help new ideas take off.