Govt must go beyond RDI, fund bluesky research at the university level

The RDI scheme may address some of the concerns about private-sector R&D, though it will be critically important to support the right sort of projects

The Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet this week, is an acknowledgement that policymakers must find ways to spark innovation and support it with funding. However, while the scheme is a step in the right direction, a lot will need to be done and, given the way the scheme is designed, it may not address some key concerns that hinder India’s research & development (R&D). India spends less than 1 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on R&D, while for China and South Korea, for example, it is over 2.5 per cent. Thus,