Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the government will “operationalise Anusandhan National Research Fund” for basic research and prototype development. Presenting the Union Budget, she announced that the government will set up a mechanism for spurring private sector-driven research and innovation at commercial scale with a financing pool of Rs 1 lakh crore in line with the announcement in the interim budget.
The creation of ANRF, which was initially proposed as the National Research Foundation and later renamed, has been met with mixed reactions. While the fund’s establishment is seen as a step forward, some critics argue that the measures may be insufficient.
Binay Panda, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, expressed concerns to Down To Earth, highlighting that of the Rs 50,000 crore allocated for the ANRF over five years, only Rs 10,000 crore will come directly from the government. The remaining Rs 36,000 crore is expected to be raised from non-governmental sources, with Rs 4,000 crore coming from the existing Science and Engineering Research Board budget. Panda emphasized that this means 72% of ANRF’s budget needs to be sourced from industry and philanthropic contributions, a significant shift from the current state where only about one-third of India’s research and development expenditure comes from private sources. He called for more clarity on how the ANRF plans to secure these funds and foster industry-academia collaboration.
In addition to the ANRF announcement, Sitharaman allocated Rs 600 crore for the Deep Ocean Mission, which will fund the launch of Samudrayaan, a manned submersible designed to explore oceanic depths up to 6,000 meters. The Ministry of Earth Sciences received a total allocation of Rs 3,064.80 crore, including the Deep Ocean Mission funding.
The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) saw a budget increase to Rs 6,323.41 crore, with Rs 6,265.80 crore designated for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The Department of Science and Technology’s allocation rose to Rs 8,029.01 crore, a significant increase from the previous fiscal year’s revised estimate of Rs 4,891.78 crore. The National Quantum Mission received a notable boost, with a budget of Rs 427 crore compared to Rs 5 crore in the previous year’s revised estimate.
The Department of Biotechnology also saw an increase in funding, with Rs 2,275.70 crore allocated, up from Rs 1,607.32 crore in the revised estimates of the previous fiscal.
The ANRF aims to address the need for a professional and comprehensive research framework, directing resources towards coordinated research across disciplines and institutions. Its overarching goal is to promote a culture of research and innovation throughout Indian universities, colleges, and research institutions.