India must pour more money into science

Nature India: Is India spending enough on scientific research?

Ajay Sood: We have witnessed consistent growth in India’s overall science and technology (S&T) spending. However, in terms of international comparability we are stagnant at 0.7% of GERD to GDP ratio. This clearly indicates that we need to increase our budgetary commitments to S&T.

The private sector contribution to India’s GERD is still at the level of 36% whereas the remaining 64% is from public sources. This pattern is contrary to what we see in advanced economies where a majority share of GERD is from the private sector. While the Indian government has committed to increase the public investments into research and innovation activities significantly with the recent initiatives and announcements, the private sector stakeholders including foreign MNCs should seize this opportunity and increase their commitment to research and innovation.

The provisions of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act have been brought into force on 5 February 2024. With a few more administrative steps, this year we can expect some programme level activities.

NI: What is the focus of India’s science and research right now?

AS: India is working to strengthen its scientific enterprise – from semiconductor fabrication set-ups to exporting green hydrogen and decarbonization of the steel and allied sectors. India has reached its goal of achieving 50% energy from renewable sources before the targeted date of 2030 and it is on track for reaching net zero emissions by 2070.

The country is recognised as a hub of startups. The Startup India initiative designed to invigorate the startup ecosystem has a good mix of IT services, healthcare and life sciences, education, agriculture and other professional and commercial services. We are assisting start-ups with tax incentives, simple regulations and intellectual property rights.

NI: What is your vision for science in India?

AS: Using science and its applications for societal and planetary good. Science and technology must have tangible, real-world applications. We have created a platform called ‘Manthan’ where industry and research come together to create technology-centred roadmaps that we finance and facilitate.

To meet the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), we are prioritising clean energy initiatives such as incentives for electric vehicles and the ‘waste to wealth’ programme and national missions around hydrogen, quantum physics.

A National Research Foundation is being put in place to aid research and innovation with participation from private parties.

During India’s G-20 presidency in 2023, we also organised a Chief Science Advisors Roundtable (CSAR) affirming the commitment for collective leadership on global science advice.

NI: India’s space sector made waves with historic launches in 2023. Are there plans to bolster this sector further?

AS: Space technology entails high-end research and sound technical knowledge. Therefore, we are upskilling the sector with dedicated research programmes for young scientists.

Since 2014, we have witnessed an increase in the frequency of India’s space missions. So far, 45 spacecraft missions, 43 launch vehicle missions and 5 technology demonstrators, have been successfully realized, including the Mars Orbiter Mission, the PSLV C37 with a record 104 satellites, a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV – D2), Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions.

The government made reforms in the space domain in 2020, which envisages the private sector to act as a co-traveler in the exploration of outer space and also in providingspace-based services on Earth. An independent nodal agency under the Department of Space, IN-SPACe, was created to promote and regulate space activities from India by non-government entities.

There were more than 150 space start-ups in the country in 2022. India authorized the first privately built suborbital launch vehicle VIKRAM-S to M/s. Skyroot. IN-SPACe also facilitated the launch of Thybolt 1.0 and 2.0 nanosatellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

NI: Which areas of India’s science offer scope for improvement?

AS: We need to bolster the partnership between academia, industry and the government to boost the global expenditure on research and development.

For most Indian municipalities, construction waste management is a major concern because of its long-term environmental hazards. In a linear economy, this waste is treated as low value material, ending up in landfills causing environmental degradation and damage to public health. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India recycles only 1% of this waste. The Construction and Demolition Waste Rules and Regulations, 2016 have mandated the reuse of recycled material. One of the approaches to reduce waste could be to design buildings and structures with modular components that can be easily disassembled and reused, and explore innovative construction techniques, such as 3D printing and prefabrication, that can reduce material wastage and improve efficiency.

Considering India’s soaring population and energy demands, what does the country need to do for an energy secure future?

NI: A recent sharp rise in import expenditure must be reduced to achieve energy security.

AS: Currently, coal is India’s main energy source with a share of 46%, followed by oil (24%) and biomass (20%), natural gas covers 5% and primary electricity (hydro, nuclear, solar, and wind) 4%. By 2030, India needs 800 GW of installed renewable energy capacity to achieve 50% continuous generation from non-fossil fuel sources. This means that the country needs to add 80 GW-100 GW per year.

The country needs investment in research and development of new and improved renewable energy technologies that can lead to higher efficiency and cost reductions. This could include advancements in solar panel efficiency, wind turbine design, and energy storage technologies.

The focus has mainly been on first-generation biofuel. The biomass diversity in India can be utilized for producing second-generation and third-generation biofuel by developing scalable technologies which as of now has been primarily at lab scale.

Apart from power generation, the power distribution system is also grappling with the lack of modern transmission infrastructure at affordable tariffs.