Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday, 15 October 2026, called on Indian industry to embed itself in the research process from the very first stage — concept — right through to commercialisation, rather than engaging only after technologies are ready. Addressing the third edition of IITK Samanvay 2026 in New Delhi, he framed industry–researcher collaboration as indispensable to India's deep-technology ambitions.

The Core Ask: Co-Creation, Not Just Adoption

Dr Singh urged industry to work alongside researchers from the earliest stages to identify practical applications, build viable business models, and compress the timeline 'from lab to land, from idea to impact, and from prototype to product,' according to a statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology. He argued that late-stage industry entry — a longstanding pattern in India's innovation cycle — leaves promising research stranded between demonstration and deployment.

The minister also called for greater domestic and international investment in deep technologies and a stronger culture of research philanthropy, an area where India has historically lagged behind the United States, China, and Germany.

Policy Levers: The ₹1 Lakh Crore R&D Fund and FDI Liberalisation

Dr Singh pointed to two enabling policy moves. First, the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he described as a vehicle for boosting industry participation in deep-tech. Second, the liberalisation of foreign direct investment norms in strategic sectors, which he said was designed to mobilise resources at scale for technology development.

Notably, the fund's effectiveness will ultimately depend on uptake — both from domestic conglomerates and from international players willing to co-invest in India-based research programmes. Neither disbursement timelines nor sector-specific allocations were detailed at the event.

India's Deep-Tech Scoreboard

The minister cited several data points to underscore the pace of India's technology ecosystem expansion. India now hosts over 400 space startups, with the country's space economy estimated at around $9 billion and projected to reach $45 billion by the end of the decade. The broader startup ecosystem has grown to approximately 2.5 lakh startups. The bio-manufacturing sector, meanwhile, has expanded from roughly $10 billion to nearly $200 billion over approximately a decade — growth Dr Singh attributed to policy support, an enabling regulatory environment, and a cultural shift toward innovation and entrepreneurship.

Sovereignty Through Self-Reliance

Dr Singh grounded his remarks in a strategic argument: India's long-term geopolitical standing, he said, will be shaped by its capacity for indigenous manufacturing, technology development, and the effective use of domestic resources. Scientific and technological self-reliance, he argued, is not merely an economic objective — it is a prerequisite for geopolitical sovereignty and a stronger international position. This connects to a broader policy posture the Centre has maintained since at least 2020, accelerated by supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic and ongoing global tech-decoupling trends.

What Comes Next

IITK Samanvay serves as a platform for bridging academia, government, and industry, and the third edition signals growing institutional momentum behind the lab-to-market agenda. Industry bodies and research institutions are expected to take forward the minister's call through structured engagement mechanisms. Whether the ₹1 lakh crore fund catalyses meaningful co-investment or remains underutilised — as some earlier innovation funds have — will be the real test of this policy direction in the months ahead.