Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
Context
- The Union government relaxed norms for deep-tech start-ups to avail financial assistance from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).
About
- The Centre has removed the mandatory three-year viability criterion for deep-tech start-ups to avail financial assistance of up to ₹1 crore from DSIR.
- The funding support is provided under the Industrial Research and Development Promotion Programme (IRDPP).
- DSIR functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology to promote industrial R&D and innovation.
- Earlier Funding Norms:
- Start-ups were eligible for DSIR support only after demonstrating sustainability and viability for at least three years.
- This condition often excluded early-stage deep-tech innovators, who typically face long gestation periods.
What is deep technology?
- Deep tech refers to advanced and disruptive technologies that have the potential to trigger transformative change, and provide solutions for the future.
- The term is used to describe cutting-edge research in nanotechnology, biotechnology, material sciences, quantum technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data sciences, robotics, 3D printing, etc.
Significance of India’s Deep-Tech Ambitions
- Global Leadership: It positions India as a trusted R&D hub in the “China+1” global landscape, leveraging its massive STEM talent pool to lead in frontier technologies like Quantum Computing and 6G.
- Technological Sovereignty: Reduces critical reliance on foreign imports for national security, defense, and space, ensuring India isn’t vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions.
- Solving Local Challenges: Enables “India-first” solutions for massive social hurdles, such as AI for rural healthcare, precision agriculture for food security, and green hydrogen for energy independence.
- Economic Value: A robust deep-tech ecosystem enables India to move up the global value chain, shifting from low-cost services and assembly-based manufacturing to high-value research, design and intellectual property creation.
| Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme Fund – The scheme has an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore over 6 years, with Rs 20,000 crore allocated for FY 2025–26, funded from the Consolidated Fund of India. – The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will serve as the nodal department for implementation of the RDI Scheme. – Key objectives of the Scheme are as follows; – Encourage the private sector to scale up research, development, and innovation (RDI) in sunrise domains and in other sectors relevant for economic security, strategic purpose, and self-reliance, – Finance transformative projects at higher levels of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), – Support acquisition of technologies which are critical or of high strategic importance, – Facilitate setting up of a Deep-Tech Fund of Funds. |
Source: TH
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