Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday called for a stronger partnership between the government and private sector in research and innovation, saying India must move towards a more balanced funding model.
Inaugurating the IIT Madras Technology Summit 2026 in Chennai, he noted that nearly 70 per cent of the country’s research investment currently comes from the government. While acknowledging increased public spending in R&D, he said industry participation must grow significantly.
“About 70% of research investment comes from the government, reflecting strong public commitment. However, the long-term direction must move towards a more balanced 50:50 partnership between the public sector and industry to accelerate innovation and scale impact,” Pradhan said.
The summit, themed “From IITM. For Bharat. Building Together,” was also attended by Minister of State for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Jayant Chaudhary, along with senior officials.
Pradhan said India’s innovation ecosystem is at a “crucial turning point,” stressing that research must move beyond academic output and translate into practical solutions.
“Research should not remain confined to academic theses but must translate into real-world products and solutions. India’s talent pool is already leading globally, but the time has come to reform and modernise the entire innovation process,” he said.
Questioning the country’s innovation gap, he asked why India is still not generating enough homegrown technologies despite its talent base.
He also emphasised the need for science and technology to play a central role in national development with a human-centric approach.
Highlighting India’s growing start-up ecosystem, Pradhan said the country has expanded from a few hundred start-ups a few years ago to more than 2.5 lakh today, and has improved its ranking in the Global Innovation Index from 85th to 38th.
He also referred to a proposed Rs 1 lakh crore fund aimed at boosting research and development, particularly in the private sector and start-ups.
However, he pointed to a continuing concern: Indian industries often end up purchasing technologies developed abroad by Indian talent.
“This indicates a need to build and invest in our own products domestically. With a strong internal market, India has the advantage of being both producer and consumer,” he said.
Reiterating the vision of a developed India by 2047, Pradhan said the Global South would look towards India’s development model. He also urged institutions like IITs to ensure their work delivers tangible benefits to society.
“Building Bharat is not limited to India’s boundaries. It means creating sustainable solutions for the world, especially for the poor and the Global South,” he said.
IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the summit serves as a call for collaboration between academia, industry and start-ups to shape India’s future innovation landscape.
Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), said the institute’s research success lies in its focus on real-world impact, supported by industry partnerships and Centres of Excellence.
The event also marked the launch of the book “Inventing a Better Tomorrow: 25 Years of IIT Madras Impact”, documenting the institute’s contributions to research, innovation and nation-building.
IIT Madras further announced the establishment of Bodhan AI, a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in education, supported by the Ministry of Education.
(With inputs from PTI)
