India’s R&D spending crosses 0.8% of GDP for first time since 2010

Prelims-testable facts

• 01India's R&D spending crossed 0.8% of GDP for the first time since 2010 in 2021-22.
• 02The level of R&D spending last seen in 2009-10 was also reached in 2021-22, at 0.83% of GDP.
• 03Private industry accounted for 45.5% of national R&D spending in 2021-22.
• 04In 2023-24, private industry's share rose to 51.8%, surpassing the combined contribution of all levels of government.
• 05India's R&D spending as a percentage of GDP has shown a structural shift towards increased private sector contributions.
• 06The Department of Science and Technology reported this increase in R&D spending.

Trap alerts

• Most people think government funding is the primary source of R&D spending, but actually private industry now contributes more than all levels of government combined.
• Most people think India's R&D spending has consistently exceeded 0.8% of GDP over the years, but actually it was only in 2021-22 that this threshold was crossed since 2010.