The Government’s Rs 1 lakh-crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund was designed to support private-sector research and development in strategic areas including quantum technology, space, robotics and artificial intelligence.
However, the initiative has currently hit a pause as fresh funding is awaited and the process of selecting beneficiaries has faced delays. The funding bottleneck has slowed the rollout of new support, leaving companies and research-driven projects waiting for the next stage of the programme.
The development raises questions over the pace at which the ambitious RDI initiative can translate government funding into private-sector innovation and deep-tech development.
