PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates ESTIC 2025 in New Delhi; Launches Rs 1 Lakh Crore RDI Scheme Fund

On November 3, 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025 which was held from November 03 to November 05, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.

• During the inaugural ceremony, PM Narendra Modi launched key initiatives,including the Rs. 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme Fund, announced the operationalisation of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) established under the ANRF Act, 2023, and unveiled a coffee table book and vision document outlining India’s science and technology goals.

About Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025:

Theme: “Viksit Bharat 2047 – Pioneering Sustainable Innovation, Technological Advancement and Empowerment”.

Under the Guidance of: The 3-day long conclave was held under the guidance of the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI).

Organiser: ESTIC 2025, a flagship event organised annually by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Sciene & Technology(MoS&T), in partnership with International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad (Telangana).

Association Partners: Department of Atomic Energy (DEA); Ministry of AYUSH(Ayurveda, Yoga, & Nauturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy); Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under MoS&T; Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES); Ministry of Education (MoE); among others.

• Institutions: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Space (DoS), among others.

Key Dignitaries: The inaugural ceremony was attended by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T); Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, PSA to the GoI and other dignitaries.

Key Participants: The conclave brought together more than 3,000 participants from academia, research institutions, industry and government, along with Nobel laureates, eminent scientist, innovators, and policymakers.

Key Thematic Areas: During the conclave, discussions were mainly focused on 11 key thematic areas: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Bio-Manufacturing; Blue Economy; Digital Communications; Electronics & Semiconductor Manufacturing; Emerging Agriculture Technologies; Energy, Environment & Climate, Health & Medical Technologies; Quantum Science & Technology; and Space Technologies.

About RDI Fund Scheme:

Aim: This newly launched fund scheme is designed to promote a private sector-driven research and development ecosystem in the country.

Total Budget: The GoI had allocated Rs 1 lakh crore for the fund scheme, for a period of 6 years. Also, the entire amount for the fund scheme will be drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India.

• Of the total budget allocated for the scheme, the GoI had allocated Rs 20,000 crore for Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26).

Nodal Agency: DST will act as the nodal ministry of the RDI Fund that will function through a two-tiered funding structure.

Setting Up of SPF: A Special Purpose Fund (SPF) will be set up within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which will administer the fund.

Investments: This newly launched fund will not directly invest in industries and startups but will raise capital to second-level fund managers, who can be Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Non-banking Finance Companies (NBFCs), among others.

Key Progress Made by India in R&D Sector:

Doubled R&D’s Expenditure: While addressing the event, PM Narendra Modi highlighted that the GoI has doubled the country’s Research & Development (R&D) expenditure in the last 10 years.

Patents and Startup: The number of registered patents has increased 17 times; and India has become the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world.

Bio-economy: He further highlighted that over the last decade, India’s bio-economy has expanded from USD 10 billion (in 2014) to nearly USD 140 billion (in 2025).

5G Labs Initiative: GoI has set up 100 fifth Generation(5G) Labs to advance innovation, support start-ups, and strengthen the 6G R&D ecosystem through industry–academia collaboration.

Women Contribution: Over the last decade, the number of women filling for patent annually has increased from 100 patents per year (in 2014) to more than 5,000 per year (in 2025).

• Currently, women in India, now account nearly 43% of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education enrolments in India, which is more than the global average.

About Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T):
Minister of State (MoS)- Dr. Jitendra Singh (Constituency- Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir, J&K)