Lok Sabha Question No. 1866 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Public-funded Research and Development Institutions
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Sribharat Mathukumilli

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1866 ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026

## PUBLIC-FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS

## 1866. SHRI. SRIBHARAT MATHUKUMILLI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  maintains  data  on  the  number  of technologies  developed  and  transferred  to  industry  by  major  publicfunded research institutions during the last five years, and if so, the year-wise details thereof;
- (b) whether  any  assessment  has  been  undertaken  to  examine factors  affecting  research-to  market  transition  in  public-funded  R&D institutions and if so, the details of findings thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has established a central repository of ready-for-deployment and under-development technologies and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  any  institutional  mechanisms  have  been  created  to facilitate coordination between public research institutions, investors, and  industry  for  technology  commercialisation  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  issued  guidelines  to  encourage public-funded  research  institutions  to  focus  on  the  development  of socially relevant technologies in areas like drinking water, sanitation, energy, healthcare, and organic farming and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The Government maintains data on the number of technologies developed and transferred to industry by major public-funded research institutions. The details for the last 5 years are given in Annexure 1.

- (b) The  Office  of  the  Principal  Scientific  Advisor  (PSA)  to  the Government  of  India  had  undertaken  two  studies  to  assess  the performance of centrally funded Research & Development organisations  (in  non-strategic  sectors),  where  IP  and  technology transfer were among several metrics. A report titled 'Evaluation of the Innovation Excellence Indicators: Report on Public Funded Research & Development  (R&D)  Organizations  (Round  1)  and  (Round  2)"  was released in 2022 and 2025, respectively. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Economic Research  (CTIER)  served  as  knowledge  partners  for  this  work.  NITI Aayog Working Paper No. WPS (NITI Aayog)/11/2025, titled "Public R&D Institutes in India: Opportunities for Multisectoral  and  Systemic Integration," provided a diagnostic analysis of over 1,800 public R&D institutes,  identifying  gaps  in  technology  commercialization.  Factors influencing  research-to-market  transition  include  weak  InstitutionalIndustry-Government  linkages,  the  absence  of  Technology  Transfer Offices  in  institutions,  and  lack  of  incentives  for  scientists  and researchers  to  pursue  translational  research.  The  Government  has initiated  several  structural,  financial,  and  policy  reforms  to  address these factors which are given below:-
- o The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) under DST has  strengthened  Industry-  Academia  linkages  through  various programs.  One  key  mechanism  to  bridge  the  gap  between academic  research  and  market-ready  products  is  structured support  across  Technology  Readiness  Levels  (TRLs).  Under  the new  framework,  ANRF  supports  research  from  basic  and  earlystage  development,  i.  e.,  up  to  TRL-4,  while  the  RDI  scheme, launched with an outlay of ₹1 lakh crore, funds projects from TRL4 and above to advance prototypes, scale up and commercialisation. This coordinated approach ensures a smooth transition  from  laboratory  research  to  commercially  deployable technologies, strengthening Institutional-Industry-Government linkages.  BIRAC  under  DBT  also  addresses  the  gap  between academia and industry by providing specialized support through targeted  schemes  like  Biotechnology  Ignition  Grant  (BIG)  and BioNEST (Bio- Incubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies).

- o Several  measures  have  been  taken  to  establish  and  strengthen Technology  Transfer  Offices  (TTOs)  to  bridge  the  gap  between academia, R&D labs and industry. The National IPR Policy (2016) emphasised creating TTOs in universities and R&D institutions to facilitate the commercialization of intellectual property. Techex.in,  i-TTO,  C-CAMP,  and  others  under  the  BIRAC-RTTO Network manage intellectual property, foster industry partnerships, and facilitate R&D commercialization from academia and labs to industry. IN-Space enables the transfer of ISRO  developed  space  technologies  to  Indian  industries.  The National  Research  Development  Corporation  (NRDC)  promote technology transfer and commercialisation from R&D institutions and supports TTOs  via seed funding, patenting assistance, technology validation, and licensing, often acting as an intermediary  to  commercialize  innovations.  NRDC's  efforts  have facilitated  over  5000  technology  transfer  agreements,  helping turn academic research into commercial success. Major technical institutions  like  IITs,  NITs,  and  CSIR  laboratories  have  also established  TTOs  or  Intellectual  Property  Management  Cells (IPMC) to handle licensing and commercialization.
- o The government offers various incentives to promote translational research, including direct grants, specialized fellowships,  infrastructure  support,  and  regulatory  assistance. BIRAC  provides  up  to  ₹50  lakhs  for  early-stage  startups  and individual scientists to reach the Proof of Concept stage. Under the ANRF Translational Research and Innovation (ATRI) initiative, ANRF will establish ATRI Centres to support advancing technologies  from  TRL  4  to  TRL  7,  thereby  strengthening  the innovation  pipeline  from  lab  to  market.  Previously,  SERB  (now ANRF)  provided  grants  under  schemes  like  SERB-TETRA  (for proposals with potential and promise for translation at TRL 5 or beyond). The CSIR Technology Awards (CTA) encourage multidisciplinary  in-house  efforts  and  external  collaboration  for technology development, transfer, and commercialization.
- (c) Each organisation maintains its own institutional repository or list of technologies, including those ready for deployment as well as those under development.

- o Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  Technology Showcase  Portal  lists  various  ready-for-deployment  or  mature technologies available for transfer to industries, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. The portal includes technologies categorized by sector and lab, success stories, and patent portfolios.
- o All  the  BRIC  (Biotechnology  Research  and  Innovation  Council) institutions under the Department of Biotechnology maintain their own institutional repositories, listing technologies that are ready for deployment as well as those under development.
- o The  India  Science,  Technology  and  Innovation  (ISTI)  Portal, developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), acts  as  a  one-stop  shop,  collating  information  on  research, technology,  and  innovation-  including  technologies  ready  for deployment and transfer from various central scientific departments. The autonomous institutions of DST also maintain a database of technologies that are ready for deployment.
- o The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) manages the ICAR Technology Repository for agricultural technologies, covering  areas  such  as  Crop  Science,  Horticultural  Science, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Natural Resource Management, Fisheries Science, etc.
- o The  Defence  Research  and  Development  Organisation  (DRDO) maintains a portfolio of technologies developed in its 50+ laboratories,  which  are  transferred  to  private  sector  companies for production.
- (d) Several institutional mechanisms, including specialised schemes  and  programmes  have  been  formulated  by  respective departments  to  facilitate  coordination  between  public  research institutions, investors, and industry for technology commercialisation.  The  details  of  significant  initiatives  are  given below:-
- o Dedicated  Business  Development  Groups  (BDGs)  operate  at  the Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  at  both  the Laboratory  and  Headquarters  levels.  They  liaise  with  academia and  industry  to  facilitate  collaborative  research  in  areas  of

- mutual interest and complementary expertise, including adoption and access to technologies and products developed by CSIR. To support technology outreach to MSMEs, CSIR has partnered with Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB). CSIR also supports startups through incubation centres at some of its laboratories, offering scientific assistance for R&D, prototyping facilities, use of R&D equipment for analytical measurements, mentoring, advisory and consulting services, IP support, and capacity building.
- o The BRIC-BIRAC Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme is a strategic initiative launched by the Department of Biotechnology to foster, coordinate, and accelerate biotechnology innovation. It aims to bridge the lab-to-market gap by facilitating collaboration between research institutions, academia, industry, and investors, enabling high-risk, advanced  biological research  to  become scalable, commercialized solutions. The EIR Programme empowers  young  innovators to convert advanced  biological research  into  viable  commercial  solutions  by  providing  funding and stipends, incubation and mentorship, skill development, and industry integration.
- o The  Technical  Research  Centres  (TRCs)  established  at  five autonomous  institutions  under  the  Department  of  Science  and Technology (DST) support technology commercialization by offering techno-legal-commercial and financial assistance to bridge the gap  between scientific discovery and industrial application. These centres act as intermediaries that streamline the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including industry and academia,  to  translate  research  into  products  of  societal  and industrial value. The TRCs adopt various strategies to coordinate between researchers, investors, and industry, such as building a strong ecosystem by enhancing the Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)  of  background  R&D  and  intellectual  properties,  making them more appealing for industrial adoption, while also supporting  the  business  community  in  transforming  inventions into viable services.
- o The  NIDHI  (National  Initiative  for  Developing  and  Harnessing Innovations) programme, implemented by DST, facilitates coordination among research institutions, investors, and industry through  a  structured,  multi-component  ecosystem  designed  to

transform lab research into commercialized products. By focusing on' start-to-scale" support, NIDHI connects innovators with industry  for  validation  and  with  investors  for  funding,  bridging gaps in technology commercialisation.

- (e) The public-funded  research  institutions  under  the  Ministry  as well  as  other  government  organisations  are  already  developing several low-cost indigenous technologies focusing on socially relevant technologies in areas like drinking water, sanitation, energy, healthcare, organic farming etc. Public funded R&D institutions in India, primarily led by the CSIR, DBT, DST, ICAR, ICMR etc, have initiated specific schemes and programs aligning research with national priorities to ensure innovations move from laboratories to  real-world  applications.    The  details  of  few  significant,  socially relevant technologies in areas like drinking water, sanitation, energy, healthcare, and organic farming developed by public-funded R&D institutions under the Ministry are given in Annexure 2.

## 1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

| Sl. No    | Year      | Technologies Developed   |   Technology Transferred |
|-----------|-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1.        | 74        | 181                      |                     2025 |
| 2.        | 45        | 293                      |                     2024 |
| 3.        | 51        | 152                      |                     2023 |
| 4.        | 85        | 162                      |                     2022 |
| 5.        | 192       | 214                      |                     2021 |
| Total 447 | Total 447 |                          |                     1002 |

## 2. Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

| Sl. No   | Year   | Technologies Developed   |   Technology Transferred |
|----------|--------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1.       | 24     | 12                       |                     2025 |
| 2.       | 71     | 6                        |                     2024 |
| 3.       | 25     | 0                        |                     2023 |
| 4.       | 38     | 7                        |                     2022 |
| 5.       |        | 63 19                    |                     2021 |
| Total    | Total  | 221                      |                       44 |

## 3. Department of Science and Technology (DST)

| Sl. No   | Year   |   Technologies Developed |   Technology Transferred |
|----------|--------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1.       | 63     |                       19 |                     2025 |
| 2.       | 62     |                       12 |                     2024 |
| 3.       | 60     |                        5 |                     2023 |
| 4.       | 72     |                       19 |                     2022 |
| 5.       | 71     |                       22 |                     2021 |
| Total    | Total  |                      328 |                       77 |

## 4. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

| Sl. No   | Year     | Technologies Developed   | Technology Transferred   |
|----------|----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1.       | 475      | 475                      | 2025                     |
| 2.       | 2024 412 |                          | 412                      |
| 3.       | 2023     | 381 381                  |                          |
| 4.       | 2022     | 379                      | 379                      |
| 5.       | 2021     | 349                      | 349                      |
| Total    | Total    | 1996                     | 1996                     |

## Annexure 1

## Key, socially relevant technologies developed by public-funded R&D institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology

|   Sl. No | Sector         | Details of Technologies Developed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Drinking Water | o ONEER™, an electronic device to eliminates harmful microbes from water without adding chemicals has been developed by CSIR- IITR/NEERI. o Ceramic membrane-based technology (CSIR- CGCRI) and Electrocoagulation/Flotation (ECF) technology (CSIR-NEERI) were developed and deployed for removing excessive iron, fluoride, and arsenic from groundwater o Thin-film composite reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes, developed by CSIR-CSMCRI/IICT are widely deployed for producing potable water from brackish water. o The R&D institutions funded by DST had developed several low-cost water purification technologies like Laterite-based Arsenic Removal Filters, AMRIT (Arsenic & Metal Removal by Indian Technology), JalKalp Water Filter - a gravity-based filter that removes biological impurities, bacteria, and heavy metals without needing electricity etc. |
|        2 | Sanitation     | o CSIR-CLRI had developed a Waterless Chrome Tanning Technology that eliminates water use in the tanning process and significantly reduces environmental pollution from tanneries. o CSIR-IICT had developed Anaerobic Gas Lift Reactor (AGR) for treating biodegradable organic waste to produce biogas and bio- manure, useful for local waste management. o DBT-ICT Centre for Energy biosciences had developed a technology demonstration project designed to convert 1 ton/day of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |

|    |            | Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into energy through an integrated, multi-technology approach.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|----|------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  3 | Energy     | o CSIR-CMERI developed Solar Tree, a compact, space-saving, and high-efficiency solar energy-harvesting structure for lighting in rural spaces. o Improved Soft Coke & Fuel Technology has been developed by CSIR-CIMFR for manufacturing cleaner-burning soft coke to reduce indoor pollution. o CSIR-NCL/NPL developed of 3 KWe and 5KW High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|  4 | Healthcare | Membrane Fuel Cells (HT-PEMFC). o DST's SCTIMST had developed an array of biomedical devices like Cardiovascular Devices (Heart Valves, Cardiac Occluders, Vascular Stents and Devices, Paracorporeal Left Ventricular Assist Device (pLVAD), Centrifugal Blood Pumps, Annuloplasty Rings, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators), Blood Management and Extracorporeal Devices (Electromagnetic Blood Flow Meters, Automatic Contrast Injectors, Disposable blood bags, Membrane Oxygenators, Cardiotomy Reservoirs), Neurological and Rehabilitation Devices (Hydrocephalus Shunts, Deep Brain Stimulator Systems, Intracranial and Subdural Electrodes, Spinal Cord Stimulators) Biomaterials and Dental Products (Hydroxyapatite-based Bioceramic Porous Granules, Calcium Phosphate Bone Cement, Bioactive Calcium Sulfate Cement, Hydroxyapatite Nanogel for root canals and Dental Composites), Diagnostic Kits and Other Devices (Multiplex RT-PCR Kit for SARS-CoV-2 detection and Chitra RNA Isolation Kit). o BGR-34 (Blood Glucose Regulator) for managing Type-2 diabetes was developed by CSIR-NBRI & CIMAP. |

|    |                 | o A portable, battery-operated, low-cost diagnostic device for rapid detection of TB, malaria, dengue, H1N1, and COVID-19 has been developed by CSIR-IGIB. o Cost-effective, generic drugs like Risorine (anti-TB) and generic, bio-equivalent versions of expensive drugs were developed by CSIR-IICT. o The affiliated institutions of DBT including BIRAC had developed several affordable diagnostic and therapeutic tools.   |
|----|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  5 | Organic Farming | o Seaweed-based Fertilizer (Kappaphycus alvarezii) was developed by CSIR-CSMCRI) which increases crop yield (13-36%) and reduces chemical fertilizer usage by 25%.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|  5 |                 | o CSIR-IHBT had developed several technologies for Cultivation of high-value aromatic plants (e.g., lavender, lemongrass, Hing (Asafoetida) and Saffron) to boost farmer income and reduce import reliance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|  5 |                 | o The Biotech KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) program connects science with farmers, focusing on enhancing productivity and sustainability.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|  5 |                 | o DBT funded institutions had developed a variety of microbial agents to improve soil health, enhance crop yields, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|  5 |                 | o Drought, pest, and disease-resistant seeds (e.g., in amaranth and safflower), technologies for waste-to-fertilizer, particularly for small-landholding farmers and modern spectroscopic techniques for quick soil nutrient analysis were developed and deployed by DBT.                                                                                                                                                         |

*****