On April 29, 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi addressed the ‘YUGM: Uniting Academia, Industry, and Innovators for Viksit Bharat’ Innovation conclave at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Delhi.
- The event, organized by the Ministry of Education(MoE) in collaboration with the Wadhwani Foundation, brought together leaders from government, academia, and industry to foster innovation and technological advancement in India.
Key Highlights:
i.During the conclave, PM Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of strengthening the research ecosystem to achieve national goals, highlighting the doubling of gross expenditure on Research and Development (R&D) from Rs.60,000 crore in 2013-14 to over Rs.1.25 lakh crore in 2023-24.
ii.He emphasized, “The Trinity of Talent, Temperament and Technology will transform India’s future”, highlighting initiatives such as Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL), with 10,000 labs already operational and 50,000 announced, to provide early exposure to children.
About YUGM Innovation conclave:
i.YUGM (meaning “confluence” in Sanskrit) is the first-of-its-kind strategic conclave convening leaders from government, academia, industry, and the innovation ecosystem.
ii.It is set to advance India’s innovation ecosystem through a collaborative initiative valued at approximately Rs 1,400 crore, with joint investment from the Wadhwani Foundation and various Government Institutions.
The conclave featured a series of High-level Roundtables and Panel iii.Discussions involving government representatives, industry leaders, and academic experts, aimed at fostering action-oriented dialogue on accelerating the translation of research into tangible impact.
- It will also include a Deep Tech Startup Showcase, presenting breakthrough innovations from across India.
Initiatives Launched:
Several key initiatives are launched during the conclave, including
i.The establishment of Superhubs at Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh(UP) focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Systems, and at IIT Bombay, Mumbai(Maharashtra), specializing in Biosciences, Biotechnology, Health, and Medicine.
ii.Additionally, Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) Centers will be set up at leading research institutions to accelerate research commercialization.
ANRF signs LoE with Wadhwani Foundation:
i.During the Conclave, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Wadhwani Foundation exchanged the Letter of Intent (LoE) in the presence of PM Narendra Modi, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T) and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE).
ii.The partnership is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a government- backed apex research institution, ANRF and a Philanthropic Foundation, aimed at co-funding and scaling up research that can drive tangible societal impact.
iii.With ANRF’s broader vision, this partnership aims to promote equitable access to resources and opportunities across the country, including tier-2 and tier-3 institutions.
About Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF):
The ANRF was established through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023 (Act No. 25 of 2023), enacted by the Parliament of India.
- This Act, which came into force on February 5, 2024, aims to serve as the apex body providing strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship across various scientific disciplines in India.
