‘Anusandhan’ National Research Foundation to anchor upscaled private collaborations: Dr Jitendra
STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: In a decisive move to overhaul India’s scientific research and innovation landscape, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has called for positioning the newly constituted Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) as the central coordinating body across all science ministries and departments. The aim is to foster synergy, encourage private sector involvement, and align research with national priorities and market readiness.
Chairing a high-level joint meeting of all science-related ministries and departments at the National Science Centre, Dr. Singh emphasized the importance of moving beyond isolated efforts to a unified, outcome-driven research strategy. “All science ministries must work with the intent to deliver market-relevant, public-good products,” he said, underlining ANRF’s role as both coordinator and catalyst for innovation and private investment.
Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO of ANRF, presented an ambitious roadmap centered on catalytic funding models, AI-driven scientific acceleration, and deep private sector partnerships. Modeled after globally successful institutions like the NSF and DARPA, ANRF will oversee cross-ministerial missions focused on scalable innovation with economic and social impact.
Key initiatives include the launch of a “Small Business Deep Tech Innovation” programme to support startups and MSMEs, and the rollout of a “Cloud of Research and Innovation Infrastructure” to enable nationwide access to underutilized R&D facilities.
A highlight of ANRF’s strategy is its AI-for-Science initiative, which aims to harness artificial intelligence to model equations in physics, chemistry, and biology-potentially accelerating the transition from theory to real-world application.
Dr. Singh cited successful innovations such as CSIR’s HANSA-NG, an indigenous two-seater trainer aircraft with 110 orders, and the Department of Atomic Energy’s Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR), as models of scalable, market-driven science. He urged greater private sector involvement in such projects, including expanding HANSA-NG production with airlines and aerospace firms.
India’s space and ocean tech missions, bio-manufacturing hubs, and semiconductor initiatives were also reviewed, signaling a push toward integration, scalability, and sustainability.
Concluding the session, Dr. Singh declared, “The time for working in silos is over. We must institutionalise collaboration and deliver solutions that matter.” The meeting marks a turning point in India’s approach to science-unifying research, policy, and industry under ANRF’s leadership to power the country’s innovation-led growth.
