Lok Sabha Question No. 553 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: RDI Fund
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Dineshbhai Makwana, Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato, Shri Lumbaram Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 553

## ANSWERED ON 03/12/2025

## RDI FUND

- †553.  SHRI DINESHBHAI MAKWANA: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI LUMBARAM CHOUDHARY: Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:
- (a) the details of specific deep-tech sectors prioritized for funding under the new Rs.1 Lakh crore Research Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme;
- (b) the manner in which the National Research Foundation (ANRF) aligns, its research activities with national strategic missions;
- (c) whether a robust framework has been established within the RDI Fund to provide long-term, low-interest loans to private industry and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the mechanisms adopted to bridge the gap between academic research outcomes and market- appropriate products; and
- (e) the manner in which the Government is integrating the efforts of various Ministries into the new RDI-focused funding framework?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The RDI scheme targets sunrise sectors including energy security and transition, and climate action; deep-technology including quantum computing, robotics and space; AI and its application in agriculture, health and education; biotechnology, biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, pharma, medical devices; and digital economy including Digital agriculture. Other proposed sectors are technologies  whose  indigenization  is  important  for  strategic  reasons  or  for economic  security  and  Atmanirbharta  and;  any  other  sector  or  technology deemed necessary in public interest.
- (b) The ANRF aligns its research activities with national strategic missions through a structured set of programmes designed to support priority-driven and mission-oriented research. Its initiatives promote competitive funding across disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of science and technology, strengthen the  R&D capabilities  of  state  universities  by  integrating  them  with  national priorities, and enhance private-sector participation in research. The Foundation also supports limited fellowship, seminar, and workshop programmes to build

research  capacity.  A  key  mechanism  for  alignment  is  the  Mission  for Advancement  in  High-impact  Areas  (MAHA),  which  focuses  on  solutionoriented, mission-mode research through multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, and multi-investigator collaborations. Under MAHA, ANRF has identified and launched  priority  missions  in  Electric  Vehicle  (EV)  mobility,  2D  materials, MedTech, and AI for Science and Engineering, ensuring that research efforts are directed towards areas of national strategic importance.

(c) The new RDI Scheme, led by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) as the nodal Ministry, is being operationalised through a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) and an Independent Business Unit under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), using a two-tier funding mechanism. At the first level, the SPF within ANRF serves as the custodian of the corpus, while at the second level, implementation is carried out by Second Level Fund Managers (SLFMs) including Alternative Investment Fund, Development Finance Institutions, NBFCs, and Focused Research Organisations such as TDB, BIRAC, and  IIT  Research  Parks.  Financial  support  is  provided  through  long-term unsecured loans at low interest, equity support for start-ups where appropriate, and contributions to deep-tech Fund-of-Funds structures. DST has formulated implementation  guidelines  and  the  selection  process  for  second-level  fund managers in consultation with relevant Ministries and stakeholders; these have been  approved  by  the  ANRF  Executive  Council  with  concurrence  from  the Ministry of Finance. DST has also prepared Special Financial Rules which have similarly been adopted following approval from the Ministry of Finance.

(d) One of the key mechanisms adopted under the RDI Scheme to bridge the gap  between  academic  research  and  market-appropriate  products  is  the structured support across Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). Under the new framework, ANRF will support research from basic and early-stage development up to TRL-4, while the RDI Fund will provide support for TRL-4 and above  to  advance  prototypes,  pilot  demonstrations,  and  scale-up  activities. This  coordinated  approach  enables  a  smooth  transition  from  laboratory research to commercially deployable technologies.

(e) Any Ministry or Department  that seeks inclusion of a particular technology  or  sector  under  the  RDI  Scheme  may  submit  a  proposal  to  the Department of Science & Technology (DST). Such proposals are placed before the Executive Council (EC) of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) for examination. Based on the EC's recommendations, the proposal is then referred to the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) for appropriate decision.

This mechanism ensures that the efforts of various Ministries are integrated in a structured and coordinated manner within the overall RDI-focused funding framework.

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