Latest news with #ANRF
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
IIT-G event explores bone regeneration
Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati organised a one-day SERB(ANRF)-supported workshop titled "Engineered Hydroxyapatite: Bridging Bone Regeneration and Antimicrobial Protection" on July 19. The event brought together experts, researchers, and students to explore cutting-edge developments in biomaterials, particularly hydroxyapatite (HAp), a calcium phosphate compound renowned for its exceptional biocompatibility, bioactivity, and close resemblance to the mineral composition of human bone. The event was organised for the dissemination of knowledge about the SERB-sponsored project "Development of Fe and Zn co-doped Hydroxyapatite for the Treatment of Osteomyelitis". During the inauguration, Prof Utpal Bora, the chairman of the event and the head of the department of biosciences and bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, highlighted the significance of tissue engineering and its translation to real-world medical applications. The convenor of the event, Prof. Lalit M. Pandey, department of biosciences and bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, outlined the workshop's core objectives and agenda, focusing on the interdisciplinary applications of engineered HAp in both regenerative medicine and infection control. Prof. Pandey also presented a detailed discussion on the bottom-up synthesis approach for HAp-based nanomaterials, emphasizing how fine-tuning at the nanoscale can significantly modify the bulk properties of a biomaterial.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
ANRF unveils PM Professorships to bolster research in State universities
To tap into the expertise of retired scientists, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) — the newly constituted body for funding scientific research — has announced the Prime Minister Professorships. Each selected Professor will receive an annual fellowship of ₹30 lakh, along with ₹24 lakh as a research grant for consumables, domestic travel, contingencies, equipment and other expenses. An overhead of ₹1 lakh per annum has also been provisioned. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), now subsumed under the ANRF, had earlier administered the SERB Distinguished Fellowship for retired scientists. That scheme offered a research grant of ₹20 lakh per annum and a monthly fellowship of ₹60,000. Unlike previous fellowships, the new initiative is also open to overseas scientists, including Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin, and Overseas Citizens of India. Additionally, professionals from industry and experienced Professors of Practice with a 'distinguished record' of research and innovation are eligible to apply. A key distinction of the new programme is that recipients must be based at State universities that qualify as 'spoke' institutions under Category A of the recently introduced Promoting Advanced and Inclusive Research (PAIR) programme of the ANRF. The PAIR initiative links universities with nascent research ecosystems to top-tier institutions in a mentorship arrangement. Select Central Universities, National Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Information Technology have been classified as 'spoke' institutions, while institutions ranked 25 or below in the National Institutional Ranking Framework are designated as 'hubs'. The selected Professors are expected to relocate, if necessary, to the host university and provide 'sustained academic and research support to faculty and students in institutions with emerging research capacity'. 'Applicants with strong research credentials must be actively involved in research and innovation activities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to mentor faculty at the eligible State universities where research and innovation is still at a nascent stage,' stated a note from the ANRF announcing the fellowship.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Quick fix: on India's Research Development and Innovation scheme
The Union Cabinet recently approved a ₹1-lakh crore Research Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme that aims to incentivise the private sector to invest in basic research. The scheme will primarily consist of a special purpose fund established within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which will act as the custodian of funds. The funds will be in the form of low-interest loans. The ANRF is conceived as an independent institutional body, with oversight by the Science Ministry, to allocate funds for basic research and to incentivise private sector participation in core research. The involvement of the ANRF here is a novel move as the newly created organisation is meant to be the equivalent of a single-window clearance mechanism for funding research and development for universities and academic institutions. It is also expected to get about 70% of its budget from private sources. In sum, through the RDI and the ANRF, the government is looking to stake the bold claim that it has played its part and that it is now up to the private sector to come forward and reverse the ratio from where the government today accounts for about 70% of India's R&D spend. However, already incipient in the government's tall ambitions are traces of what has caused previous such schemes to falter. The first of these is conservatism. It turns out that a condition for availing funds is that only products that have reached a certain level of development and market potential or, what are called Technology Readiness Level-4 (TRL-4) projects, would be eligible. There are nine TRL levels, a hierarchy that was first conceived by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1970s. TRL-1 represents a basic level of research and TRL-9 a state of advanced readiness. TRL-4 appears to be an arbitrary decision to support any promising research that has progressed halfway. Were there such a magic sauce, venture capital industries, premised on the fickleness of predicting the 'next big thing', would not exist. The scheme also seems to forget that technologically advanced countries have become what they are because of their military industrial complexes — where the spectre of war incentivises the development of technology that is risky and expensive but, over time, may prove to be of immense civilian value — examples are the Internet or the Global Positioning System. India continues to haemorrhage scientists to the West due to the lack of opportunities commensurate with their training. Finally, it lacks a deeply skilled manufacturing sector that can make the products that scientists conceive of. Budgetary allowances cannot overnight fix that which requires major surgery.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
RDI scheme: Government aims to 'jumpstart India's R&D ecosystem'; offer low-interest funding for startups
This is an AI-generated image, used for representational purposes only. India's newly approved Research Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme, with a massive Rs 1 lakh crore corpus, is set to provide a major boost to private sector R&D and deep-tech startups by making long-term, affordable financing accessible for high-impact innovation projects, a senior government official said. The scheme, approved by the Union cabinet on July 1, is designed to ease funding constraints and foster a robust domestic innovation ecosystem. A senior government official cited by news agency PTI said that the RDI scheme is structured to help companies access long-term, low or nil-interest financing for high-risk, high-tech research projects. The initiative will also support equity-based funding for startups and facilitate the creation of a deep-tech Fund of Funds. The corpus will be managed through a Special Purpose Fund under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), with Rs 20,000 crore already allocated in the Union Budget for FY26. The government will provide a 50-year interest-free loan to the fund, which will further allocate capital to second-level fund managers, including AIFs, NBFCs, and Focused Research Organisations. The official further said that the aim is to help India "jumpstart its R&D ecosystem" by creating a mechanism where ministries can propose relevant technologies for inclusion under the scheme. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo 'Any ministry that wants a technology included under the scheme can send a proposal to the department of science and technology,' the official added. The department of science and technology will act as the nodal agency for implementation and will issue detailed operational guidelines. These will include provisions to ensure effective capital recycling so that private sector RDI efforts continue to receive support over time. India currently spends just 0.65% of its GDP on R&D, significantly below the global average of 2.7%, and far lower than countries like Israel (6.3%) and South Korea (5%). According to officials, one of the key objectives is to change the perception in the private sector that R&D is a cost rather than an investment. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the scheme will also fund transformative, higher technology readiness projects, and assist in acquiring critical or strategically significant technologies. 'By addressing the critical need of the private sector for long-term, affordable financing, the RDI Scheme fosters self-reliance and global competitiveness,' he stated. The scheme will be overseen by multiple layers of governance. The governing board of ANRF, chaired by the Prime Minister, will provide strategic direction. An Executive Council under ANRF will approve project scopes and second-level fund managers. Meanwhile, an empowered group of secretaries headed by the cabinet secretary will periodically review the scheme's performance and recommend changes. Officials stressed that selected fund managers will include experts from industry, academia, finance, and technology sectors, ensuring that project evaluations remain independent and effective. Launched under the broader umbrella of Startup India , the RDI scheme adds another critical layer to India's ambition to become a global innovation powerhouse by 2047. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
RDI scheme to help promote startups engaged in sunrise sectors; boost domestic manufacturing
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills The new Research Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore will help the industry and startups access funds to undertake research in key technology sectors, such as quantum computing , robotics, and artificial intelligence, a government official scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet on July 1, will help boost domestic manufacturing of high-end goods and services and create jobs in the country. It will also support the acquisition of critical technologies and facilitate the establishment of a deep-tech fund of announcement is important as expenditure on research and development in India is just 0.65 per cent of GDP -- much lower than the global average of 2.7 per cent. Some of the major countries having high R&D expenditure include Israel (6.3 per cent), South Korea (5 per cent), Singapore (2.2 per cent), the UK (2.9 per cent) and the US (3.6 per cent).According to some reports, the share of private sector investment in R&D is low because companies often see this as a cost rather than an investment."Investment in R&D is important for private sector firms and startups as it helps bring new products and services into the market," the official government has taken a series of measures to promote budding entrepreneurs in the country under the Startup India initiative , launched in 2016. The RDI scheme is formulated to overcome the constraints and challenges in funding the private sector in research, development, and scheme, another official said, will provide long-term financing or refinancing with low or nil interest rates. Financing in the form of equity would also be possible, especially for of Rs 1 lakh crore, Rs 20,000 crore has already been allocated in the Budget for this fiscal. Private capital may also come from the funds promoted by Deep Tech Fund of Funds."One key thing in the scheme is that any ministry that wants to have a technology included under the scheme can send a proposal to the Department of Science and Technology for consideration," the official governing board of Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), chaired by the prime minister, will provide an overarching strategic direction to the RDI Executive Council of ANRF will approve the scheme's guidelines, and recommend second-level fund managers and scope and type of projects in the sunrise Empowered Group of Secretaries led by the Cabinet Secretary, will be responsible for approving scheme changes, sectors and types of projects as well as second-level fund managers besides reviewing the performance of the government shall provide a 50-year interest-free loan to the Special Purpose Fund under ANRF which would further provide funds to second-level fund second-level fund managers can be AIFs (alternate investment funds), NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) or even Focussed Research would be an investment committee of such second-level fund managers having a mix of technical and financial experts from private sector, academia, technology, and finance sectors who would select the specific projects."Thus, in this way, a system has been designed to be able to undertake independent decisions and help in jumpstarting India's R&D ecosystem," the official Department of Science and Technology will serve as the nodal department for the implementation of the scheme and will come out with detailed guidelines, which would also provide effective recycling of capital to keep supporting the RDI efforts of the private sector.
