How ₹1 Lakh Cr RDI Scheme Will Power AI, Clean Energy, Deep Tech & Biotech In India

The Union Cabinet has approved a landmark ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme aimed at accelerating India’s transition into a global tech powerhouse. With a strong push toward sunrise and strategic sectors like clean energy, climate tech, AI, quantum computing, space, biotechnology, and digital agriculture, the scheme is designed to bridge India’s long-standing R&D funding gap and fuel self-reliance in critical technologies. This government-backed initiative will provide concessional funding to projects that have advanced beyond early research and entered the prototype stage — the phase often referred to as the “valley of death,” where most innovations fail due to lack of support. The scheme is structured to empower the private sector, attract industry participation, and ensure technology translates into scalable, market-ready products. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) will anchor the fund, with oversight by a Prime Minister-led governing board and the Department of Science & Technology as the nodal agency. In this exclusive conversation, we decode how the RDI scheme will work, what sectors stand to gain, and why this could be a game-changer for India’s innovation ecosystem. Is India finally ready to go from “Make in India” to “Invent in India”? Watch exclusive conversation between Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, and Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today.