ANRF to Lead Expanded R&D with Private Players: Dr Jitendra Singh
ECONOMY & POLICY

ANRF to Lead Expanded R&D with Private Players: Dr Jitendra Singh

In a significant move aimed at transforming India’s scientific research and innovation ecosystem into a collaborative and commercially viable enterprise, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh called for positioning the newly constituted “Anusandhan” National Research Foundation (ANRF) as a critical organisation for all science ministries and departments across the government and declared that ANRF has been envisaged to anchor upscaled collaborations involving private players.

Chairing a high-level joint meeting of all the science Ministries and departments in Govt of India at the National Science Centre here today, the Minister laid out a vision for aligning research outcomes across departments with national priorities, private sector participation, and market readiness.

At the core of this shift, said Dr Jitendra Singh, is the aspiration to build a unified research strategy that breaks silos, avoids duplication and delivers tangible, scalable benefits to society. “All the science ministries must work with the intent to deliver market-relevant, public-good products,” he emphasised, adding that ANRF will not only act as a coordinating body but also serve as a catalyst to bring in private sector investment and innovation.

The ANRF’s newly appointed CEO, Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, outlined a bold roadmap that envisions catalytic funding models, deep private sector integration, and AI-led scientific acceleration. The agency is set to model its functioning on globally successful institutions like the NSF and DARPA, launching cross-ministerial missions focused on economic growth and societal impact.

Notably, ANRF is set to launch a “Small Business Deep Tech Innovation” programme inspired by global best practices, aimed at supporting startups and MSMEs in scaling technologies for real-world application. In a bid to maximise national research infrastructure, ANRF will also roll out a “Cloud of Research and Innovation Infrastructure” to allow deep-tech startups and institutions to access underused equipment across the country.

The foundation’s AI-for-Science initiative is another key highlight, focusing on using AI to model scientific equations in physics, chemistry, and biology — a leap expected to drastically shorten the time from theory to practice in core scientific domains.

Dr Jitendra Singh underscored the importance of projects with visible public utility, citing CSIR’s HANSA-NG aircraft, the Department of Atomic Energy’s Bharat Small Modular Reactors, and space-based applications as models to emulate.

The HANSA-NG, a two-seater trainer aircraft developed indigenously by CSIR-NAL, is already witnessing strong market interest with 110 orders and production lined up in collaboration with Pioneer Clean Arms. Dr Jitendra Singh noted the project’s potential to reduce India’s dependency on expensive foreign pilot training, and suggested roping in private airlines and aerospace component manufacturers to scale up production beyond Bengaluru.

Similarly, the Department of Atomic Energy is developing the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR), a 200 MW pressurised water reactor intended for industrial applications and grid-independent power generation. These initiatives demonstrate the type of innovation the Minister wants the ANRF to incubate and scale.

News source: PIB

In a significant move aimed at transforming India’s scientific research and innovation ecosystem into a collaborative and commercially viable enterprise, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh called for positioning the newly constituted “Anusandhan” National Research Foundation (ANRF) as a critical organisation for all science ministries and departments across the government and declared that ANRF has been envisaged to anchor upscaled collaborations involving private players. Chairing a high-level joint meeting of all the science Ministries and departments in Govt of India at the National Science Centre here today, the Minister laid out a vision for aligning research outcomes across departments with national priorities, private sector participation, and market readiness. At the core of this shift, said Dr Jitendra Singh, is the aspiration to build a unified research strategy that breaks silos, avoids duplication and delivers tangible, scalable benefits to society. “All the science ministries must work with the intent to deliver market-relevant, public-good products,” he emphasised, adding that ANRF will not only act as a coordinating body but also serve as a catalyst to bring in private sector investment and innovation. The ANRF’s newly appointed CEO, Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, outlined a bold roadmap that envisions catalytic funding models, deep private sector integration, and AI-led scientific acceleration. The agency is set to model its functioning on globally successful institutions like the NSF and DARPA, launching cross-ministerial missions focused on economic growth and societal impact. Notably, ANRF is set to launch a “Small Business Deep Tech Innovation” programme inspired by global best practices, aimed at supporting startups and MSMEs in scaling technologies for real-world application. In a bid to maximise national research infrastructure, ANRF will also roll out a “Cloud of Research and Innovation Infrastructure” to allow deep-tech startups and institutions to access underused equipment across the country. The foundation’s AI-for-Science initiative is another key highlight, focusing on using AI to model scientific equations in physics, chemistry, and biology — a leap expected to drastically shorten the time from theory to practice in core scientific domains. Dr Jitendra Singh underscored the importance of projects with visible public utility, citing CSIR’s HANSA-NG aircraft, the Department of Atomic Energy’s Bharat Small Modular Reactors, and space-based applications as models to emulate. The HANSA-NG, a two-seater trainer aircraft developed indigenously by CSIR-NAL, is already witnessing strong market interest with 110 orders and production lined up in collaboration with Pioneer Clean Arms. Dr Jitendra Singh noted the project’s potential to reduce India’s dependency on expensive foreign pilot training, and suggested roping in private airlines and aerospace component manufacturers to scale up production beyond Bengaluru. Similarly, the Department of Atomic Energy is developing the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR), a 200 MW pressurised water reactor intended for industrial applications and grid-independent power generation. These initiatives demonstrate the type of innovation the Minister wants the ANRF to incubate and scale. News source: PIB

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

UP Signs Rail Deal to Boost Logistics Infrastructure

To bolster Uttar Pradesh’s industrial and logistics ecosystem, Invest UP and the Lucknow Division of Northern Railway signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Lok Bhawan on Wednesday.The MoU, signed by Invest UP CEO Vijay Kiran Anand and Rajneesh Kumar Srivastava, Senior Divisional Operations Manager of Northern Railway, aims to provide railway land to investors at a concessional lease rate of 1.5 per cent of the prevailing industrial or circle rate for a 35-year period.According to the official statement, the move will support the development of warehousing and logistics infrastructure..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

RVNL Wins Rs 1.16 Bn Railway Electrification Contract

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) has received a letter of intent from Central Railway for an electrification system upgrade contract valued at Rs 1.16 billion. The project, according to the company’s stock exchange filing, will be completed within 24 months.The scope of the work involves modification of the current 1x25 kV electric traction system to a 2x25 kV configuration at the feeding system in the Itarsi-Amla section, located in the Nagpur Division. This upgrade is part of broader efforts to modernise and strengthen the efficiency of India’s railway electrification infrastructure.RVNL cont..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Mumbai Rail Network to Expand with New Airport, Port Links

The Maharashtra government’s infrastructure drive in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will see a major expansion of suburban railway corridors on both Central and Western Railways, with new lines planned to improve airport and port connectivity.The Union Railway Ministry has instructed both zones to conduct feasibility surveys for new lines connecting Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), segregating suburban and long-distance services, and building a new rail link from Dahanu to the upcoming Vadhavan Port in Palghar—touted as India’s largest port.On the Central Railway, surveys ..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?