India has moved from tech follower to global leader in science & innovation: Jitendra Singh
Jitendra Singh
on Monday said India has transformed into a global leader in science and technology over the past decade driven by a political climate that enabled scientific risk-taking and innovation.
Speaking at a press conference following detailed presentations by four major science departments, Singh said, "The last 11 years turned technology into the engine of India's growth story. More importantly, we are no longer a technology follower but a technology leader."
India is now setting global best practices in science and innovation rather than waiting to adopt them from abroad, he added.
The minister credited this shift to a "supportive political dispensation" after 2014 that allowed scientists the freedom to experiment even when success wasn't guaranteed.
"What a scientist needs most is the liberty to try and that space was given to us by the hon'ble prime minister," he said, pointing to reforms like opening up space and nuclear sectors to private participation and encouraging global collaborations.
Emphasising that India never lacked talent but previously lacked
policy
support, Singh said the country had moved away from working in silos and was now witnessing convergence between public and private sectors.
"In other countries, there is no hard demarcation between public and private in scientific work. We have started moving in that direction," he noted.
Ajay Sood
, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, echoed the minister's remarks and praised the transformative shift in India's science and technology landscape.
"You would have all noticed that in the last 11 years, science and technology has moved from the sidelines to the centre stage of national development," said Sood, adding that four science departments had clearly demonstrated this journey through their presentations.
He explained that the office of the PSA plays a key role in providing evidence-based and ministry-agnostic scientific advice to the prime minister and the Cabinet, identifying gaps and recommending national missions.
"We are not tied to any one ministry. Our focus is on mapping the entire scientific landscape and ensuring cross-sectoral coordination," Sood said.
He noted that under the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC), 11 targeted national missions, including the
National Quantum Mission
, National One Health Mission, Deep Ocean Mission, and the Green Hydrogen Mission, have been initiated. These were based on identified priority areas and implemented by the concerned departments for coordinated national impact.
Sood also highlighted the significance of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), calling it "a very, very important initiative" that had its genesis in early discussions within the PSA office before its formal rollout last year.
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