New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of tailoring research solutions to address local Indian needs, even if the challenges are globally relevant. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the governing board of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) at his residence, Modi highlighted the necessity of overcoming obstacles within the country’s research ecosystem.
The Prime Minister proposed a “hub and spoke” model to foster collaboration, pairing emerging research institutions with top-tier universities for mentorship. According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Modi underscored the importance of setting ambitious goals, focusing on achieving them, and driving groundbreaking research.
The meeting covered several strategic areas for ANRF, including enhancing India’s global positioning in key sectors, aligning research and development with national priorities, promoting inclusive growth, building capacity, advancing scientific innovation, and bridging the gap between academic research and industrial applications through translational research. Modi also stressed the need for upgrading and standardizing institutions and suggested creating a list of domain experts and a dashboard to track research and development activities in the country. He highlighted the importance of scientific monitoring of resource utilization for research and innovation, assuring the scientific community that resources will be available for their work. Additionally, Modi praised the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs and proposed grading these labs. He discussed research in areas such as environmental solutions, battery technologies for electric vehicles (EVs), and lab-grown diamonds. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who attended the meeting, highlighted its significance for India’s research and development landscape. In a post on ‘X,’ he noted that the ANRF aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and will strengthen research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aiming to establish India as a hub for cutting-edge research and solutions. The ANRF plans to launch mission-oriented programs in priority areas including Electric Vehicle (EV) mobility, advanced materials, solar cells, smart infrastructure, health and medical technology, sustainable agriculture, and photonics. The foundation will also establish Centers of Excellence to support interdisciplinary research in the humanities and social sciences.
