NITI Aayog meet charts roadmap to boost ease of doing R&D in India

NITI Aayog has called for sweeping reforms to make research and development (R&D) in India more efficient, collaborative, and globally competitive, as part of its Fifth Consultative Meeting on “Ease of Doing Research and Development (R&D)” held in Ahmedabad on August 12-13, a senior official said here on Thursday.

The two-day meeting, hosted by Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST) at Science City, brought together over 110 participants, including heads of academic and research institutions, senior policymakers, and industry experts.

According to the officials, discussions centred on dismantling procedural bottlenecks, improving access to knowledge resources, strengthening institutional competitiveness, and promoting translational research.

Key speakers emphasised the need for structural reforms, agile regulations, and stronger academia-industry linkages.

Participants agreed that reducing friction across the research lifecycle — from funding to compliance — is vital for achieving self-reliance in critical technology areas.

Recommendations from the meeting will feed into a national strategy to make India a more attractive destination for researchers, innovators, and global collaborations.