R&D Statistics at a Glance

GERD — 2023-24

₹244.8K Cr

Gross R&D Expenditure 14.7% YoY

R&D / GDP — 2023-24

0.84%

of GDP · world average ~2.5%

Private Sector — 2023-24

51.8%

share of total GERD

Global Rank — R&D Spend (2023)

$120.6 Bn PPP · 2023

National R&D Expenditure Growth Trends

GERD (₹ Crore) — year-wise

Year	GERD (₹ Cr)	GDP (₹ Cr)	R&D % GDP
2025-26 *	313,007	34,635,638	0.90%
2024-25 *	276,196	31,807,309	0.87%
2023-24	244,768	28,983,909	0.84%
2022-23	213,378	26,117,627	0.82%
2021-22	194,811	23,597,398	0.83%
2020-21	127,381	19,854,096	0.64%
2019-20	132,567	20,103,593	0.66%
2018-19	124,740	18,899,668	0.66%
2017-18	113,825	17,090,042	0.67%
2016-17	103,099	15,391,669	0.67%
2015-16	95,452	13,771,874	0.69%
2014-15	87,473	12,467,959	0.70%
2013-14	79,356	11,233,522	0.71%

India's GERD grew from ₹79,356 Cr (2013-14) to ₹313,007 Cr (2025-26), a 12.1% CAGR over 12 years. Steady investment reflects India's commitment to science-led growth under its national S&T missions. * 2024-25 and 2025-26 figures are estimated/extrapolated.

% Growth Analysis of GERD and GDP

YoY % change — GERD growth vs GDP growth (nominal prices)

Year	GERD Growth %	GDP Growth %
2014-15	+10.2%	+11%
2015-16	+9.1%	+10.5%
2016-17	+8%	+11.8%
2017-18	+10.4%	+11%
2018-19	+9.6%	+10.6%
2019-20	+6.3%	+6.4%
2020-21	-3.9%	-1.2%
2021-22	+52.9%	+18.9%
2022-23	+9.5%	+10.7%
2023-24	+14.7%	+11%
2024-25 *	+12.8%	+9.7%
2025-26 *	+13.3%	+8.9%

Annual GERD growth shows resilience post-COVID. A dip in 2020-21 was quickly reversed, with 2021-22 recording exceptional growth. Consistent upward momentum positions India as one of the fastest-growing R&D spenders among emerging economies. * 2024-25 and 2025-26 figures are estimated/extrapolated.

Trend of GERD as % of GDP

GERD as % of GDP — year-wise

Year	R&D % GDP
2025-26 *	0.90%
2024-25 *	0.87%
2023-24	0.84%
2022-23	0.82%
2021-22	0.83%
2020-21	0.64%
2019-20	0.66%
2018-19	0.66%
2017-18	0.67%
2016-17	0.67%
2015-16	0.69%
2014-15	0.70%
2013-14	0.71%

India's GERD reached 0.84% of GDP in 2023-24, and is estimated to reach 0.90% in 2025-26. India aims to achieve 2% of GDP by 2047 under Viksit Bharat, requiring a sustained multi-fold increase in both public and private R&D investment.

Sector-wise Expenditure Trends

Central / State / Private / Higher Education (₹ Crore)

Year	Central	State	Private	Higher Ed
2018-19	65,424	8,029	42,490	8,797
2019-20	69,317	8,555	44,754	9,942
2020-21	61,281	8,476	46,388	11,235
2021-22	79,356	8,394	82,975	24,086
2022-23	81,183	9,193	95,422	27,579
2023-24	85,712	9,796	118,352	30,909
2024-25	89,131	10,583	141,355	35,128
2025-26	92,725	11,432	168,834	40,016

The Central Government remains India's dominant R&D funder. Private sector expenditure has grown steadily, while State Governments and Higher Education also contribute, reflecting a diversified national R&D ecosystem. * 2024-25 and 2025-26 figures are estimated/extrapolated.

Public vs Private Share Shifts

% share of total R&D investment — S&T Indicators Table 5

Year	Public (₹ Cr)	Public %	Private (₹ Cr)	Private %	Total (₹ Cr)
2025-26 *	131,338.93	41.96%	181,667.88	58.04%	313,006.81
2024-25 *	124,362.83	45.03%	151,832.85	54.97%	276,195.68
2023-24	117,861.21	48.15%	126,906.60	51.85%	244,767.81
2022-23	110,949.77	52%	102,428.35	48%	213,378.12
2021-22	106,133.32	54.48%	88,677.51	45.52%	194,810.83
2020-21	80,992.83	63.58%	46,388.13	36.42%	127,380.96
2019-20	87,813.47	66.24%	44,753.54	33.76%	132,567.01
2018-19	82,250.19	65.94%	42,489.95	34.06%	124,740.14
2017-18	71,969.15	63.23%	41,855.88	36.77%	113,825.03
2016-17	63,974.55	62.05%	39,124.71	37.95%	103,099.26
2015-16	59,430.29	62.26%	36,022.15	37.74%	95,452.44
2014-15	54,935.05	62.8%	32,538.39	37.2%	87,473.44
2013-14	48,841.09	61.55%	30,514.80	38.45%	79,355.89

Private investment now leads India's national R&D: 51.85% versus 48.15% public in 2023-24. It is estimated to reach 58.04% by 2025-26. Private investment first overtook public in 2023-24, reversing a public-led structure that had held since 2004-05. Public = Central + State + public/joint-sector industries + public higher education; Private = private industries + SIROs + private higher education. Source: S&T Indicators Table 5.

Institutional vs Industrial Sector Dynamics

Govt (Central+State) vs Private Industry vs Higher Education (₹ Crore)

Year	Institutional (₹ Cr)	Industrial (₹ Cr)	Higher Ed (₹ Cr)
2018-19	73,453	42,490	8,797
2019-20	77,872	44,754	9,942
2020-21	69,758	46,388	11,235
2021-22	87,750	82,975	24,086
2022-23	90,377	95,422	27,579
2023-24	95,508	118,352	30,909
2024-25	99,713	141,355	35,128
2025-26	104,158	168,834	40,016

What each category covers (S&T Indicators Table 1): Central — R&D expenditure of Central Government R&D labs/institutes and Central Public Sector Enterprises/joint-sector companies. State — State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and State Government R&D labs/institutions. Private Industry — in-house private sector R&D units and Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations (SIROs) recognised by DSIR. Higher Education — R&D expenditure by both public and private higher education institutes. * 2024-25 and 2025-26 figures are estimated/extrapolated.

Global Benchmarking Trends

R&D as % of GDP — International comparison (latest available year)

Country	R&D % GDP	GERD (PPP $ Bn)	Year
Israel	6.35%	37.9	2023
Korea	4.94%	146.8	2023
Sweden	3.60%	26.3	2023
USA	3.45%	952.1	2023
Japan	3.44%	217.1	2023
Switzerland	3.22%	25.9	2023
Germany	3.15%	188.3	2023
Finland	3.09%	11.0	2023
Denmark	3.05%	14.1	2023
United Kingdom	2.68%	114.7	2023
China	2.58%	915.5	2023
Netherlands	2.27%	33.1	2023
France	2.18%	90.6	2023
Australia	1.86%	33.7	2023
Singapore	1.81%	17.2	2023
Canada	1.81%	50.4	2023
New Zealand	1.55%	4.4	2023
Spain	1.49%	40.2	2023
Hungary	1.38%	6.2	2023
Italy	1.38%	48.8	2023
Brazil	1.19%	—	2023
Russia	0.94%	48.0	2023
India	0.84%	120.6	2023
South Africa	0.61%	5.9	2023
Mexico	0.27%	8.1	2023

India's R&D intensity of 0.84% of GDP (2023-24) compares with Israel (6.35%), South Korea (4.94%), and the global average of ~2.5%. Figures for all countries are on a 2023 basis, so India is shown for 2023-24 rather than the 2025-26 estimate of 0.90%. Closing this gap is central to India's goal of becoming a global R&D hub by 2047.

Major Scientific Agencies — Spending Trends

Year-wise R&D expenditure per agency (₹ Crore)

Agency	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) (CSIR)	4,548.78	4,871.63	4,198.82	5,110.35	5,831.31	6,128.87
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) (DRDO)	17,049.02	17,425.60	15,807.08	18,290.95	20,586.18	22,927.58
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) (DAE)	6,323.78	7,151.63	5,839.02	9,245.71	10,496.21	10,109.49
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) (DBT)	2,379.10	2,358.77	2,259.10	2,819.98	2,088.68	1,499.75
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) (MEITY)	951.35	1,157.86	1,155.95	956.61	942.16	1,924.81
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) (MNRE)	55.82	48.97	59.80	65.64	72.58	70.93
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) (MoES)	1,004.59	1,163.31	793.23	1,160.71	1,068.85	1,329.51
Department of Science & Technology (DST) (DST)	3,768.33	4,053.38	3,514.23	4,562.33	3,940.55	3,516.42
Department of Space (DoS) (DoS)	11,135.41	12,966.54	9,452.72	12,427.72	10,026.00	10,567.89
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) (ICAR)	6,223.80	6,152.02	6,358.66	8,214.02	8,410.82	9,176.45
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (ICMR)	1,436.62	1,521.17	1,580.78	1,841.36	2,056.04	2,343.18
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) (MoEFCC)	440.48	456.53	422.66	356.90	441.34	625.01

Government scientific agencies show year-on-year expenditure growth. DAE, DRDO, and CSIR collectively account for the majority of central agency R&D spending, reflecting India's priority areas in defence, nuclear energy, and industrial research.

Agency-wise R&D Expenditure

Major Scientific Agencies (₹ Crore) — select year

#	Agency	Amount (₹ Cr)	Share %
1	Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) (CSIR)	6,128.87	8.7%
2	Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) (DRDO)	22,927.58	32.7%
3	Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) (DAE)	10,109.49	14.4%
4	Department of Biotechnology (DBT) (DBT)	1,499.75	2.1%
5	Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) (MEITY)	1,924.81	2.7%
6	Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) (MNRE)	70.93	0.1%
7	Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) (MoES)	1,329.51	1.9%
8	Department of Science & Technology (DST) (DST)	3,516.42	5.0%
9	Department of Space (DoS) (DoS)	10,567.89	15.0%
10	Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) (ICAR)	9,176.45	13.1%
11	Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (ICMR)	2,343.18	3.3%
12	Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) (MoEFCC)	625.01	0.9%

Agency-wise R&D expenditure reflects India's strategic priorities across space, defence, agriculture, health, and civil science sectors.

State-wise R&D Expenditure — Year-wise Trend

₹ Crore — 2021-22 to 2023-24

#	State / UT	2021-22 (₹ Cr)	2022-23 (₹ Cr)	2023-24 (₹ Cr)	Change 2021-22 → 2023-24
1	Tamil Nadu	941.28	1,077.89	1,214.50	+29%
2	Karnataka	875.87	1,003.01	1,130.15	+29%
3	Punjab	771.02	882.90	994.78	+29%
4	Gujarat	631.75	723.27	814.79	+29%
5	Telangana	505.45	578.74	652.02	+29%
6	Rajasthan	496.52	568.59	640.65	+29%
7	Haryana	461.11	528.07	595.03	+29%
8	Maharashtra	409.25	468.81	528.37	+29.1%
9	Uttar Pradesh	336.49	385.24	433.99	+29%
10	Himachal Pradesh	290.37	332.53	374.68	+29%
11	Chhattisgarh	274.89	314.74	354.59	+29%
12	Kerala	253.02	289.74	326.46	+29%
13	Odisha	248.50	284.55	320.60	+29%
14	West Bengal	237.72	272.23	306.74	+29%
15	Uttarakhand	170.68	195.51	220.34	+29.1%
16	Assam	134.58	151.20	169.02	+25.6%
17	Madhya Pradesh	120.81	138.36	155.90	+29%
18	Andhra Pradesh	117.45	138.72	154.09	+31.2%
19	Jammu & Kashmir	118.56	135.80	153.03	+29.1%
20	Bihar	118.30	135.86	152.73	+29.1%
21	Jharkhand	72.87	83.48	94.09	+29.1%
22	Meghalaya	7.10	8.14	9.17	+29.2%
23	Manipur	0.29	0.34	0.38	+31%

Across 23 States/UTs, R&D expenditure rose from ₹7,593.88 Cr in 2021-22 to ₹9,796.10 Cr in 2023-24, a 29% increase. Tamil Nadu leads in 2023-24 at ₹1,214.50 Cr. Bars are grouped by year so each State's trajectory can be read directly.

Private vs Public Industry R&D Growth Trends

Year-wise total R&D expenditure (₹ Crore)

Year	Private (₹ Cr)	Public (₹ Cr)	Total (₹ Cr)
2021-22	85,817.44	8,317.53	94,134.97
2022-23	98,185.47	9,508.65	107,694.12
2023-24	110,553.49	10,055.77	120,609.26

Industrial R&D reached ₹120,609 Cr in 2023-24 — private ₹110,553 Cr (91.7%) and public ₹10,056 Cr. Private in-house R&D units account for the overwhelming majority of industrial research effort. Source: S&T Indicators industrial R&D table (sector totals).

Private Industry R&D — Top Groups

Top 15 industries — pick a year or compare all

#	Industry Group	2021-22 (₹ Cr)	2022-23 (₹ Cr)	2023-24 (₹ Cr)	Change
1	Transportation Equipment	30,423.67	34,780.31	39,136.95	+28.6%
2	Drugs & Pharmaceuticals	20,066.02	22,956.33	25,846.63	+28.8%
3	Biotechnology	8,012.73	9,166.87	10,321.00	+28.8%
4	Information Technology	7,445.81	8,516.63	9,587.44	+28.8%
5	Electrical Equipment	5,262.98	6,021.08	6,779.18	+28.8%
6	Fuels & Petroleum	2,893.15	3,310.27	3,727.38	+28.8%
7	Chemicals & Chemical Products	2,597.26	2,971.51	3,345.76	+28.8%
8	Industrial Equipment & Machinery	2,210.45	2,529.45	2,848.45	+28.9%
9	Rubber & Plastic Products	1,968.34	2,252.17	2,535.99	+28.8%
10	Food & Food Processing	1,745.22	1,996.61	2,247.99	+28.8%
11	Glass & Ceramics	1,523.10	1,742.35	1,961.59	+28.8%
12	Textiles	1,345.67	1,539.74	1,733.80	+28.8%
13	Fertilizers & Chemicals	1,187.45	1,358.52	1,529.59	+28.8%
14	Paper & Paper Products	1,045.33	1,195.80	1,346.27	+28.8%
15	Mining & Quarrying	923.41	1,056.47	1,189.53	+28.8%
16	Electronic Equipment	815.28	932.76	1,050.24	+28.8%
17	Construction Materials	720.45	824.23	928.01	+28.8%
18	Leather & Leather Products	635.22	726.82	818.42	+28.8%
19	Vehicles & Auto Parts	558.34	638.96	719.57	+28.9%
20	Printing & Publishing	492.15	563.03	633.91	+28.8%
21	Wood & Wood Products	435.26	497.92	560.59	+28.8%
22	Ship Building & Repair	384.47	439.82	495.17	+28.8%
23	Agriculture Allied Activities	339.58	388.49	437.40	+28.8%
24	Non-conventional Energy	299.64	342.88	386.12	+28.9%
25	Precision Instruments	264.35	302.40	340.45	+28.8%
26	Medical Equipment & Instruments	233.12	266.71	300.30	+28.8%
27	Telecommunications	205.48	235.12	264.77	+28.9%
28	Soaps & Cosmetics	181.24	207.37	233.49	+28.8%
29	Paint & Varnishes	159.83	182.83	205.84	+28.8%
30	Cycles & Parts	141.00	161.37	181.73	+28.9%
31	Welding & Soldering	124.45	142.37	160.29	+28.8%
32	Sports Goods	109.72	125.56	141.40	+28.9%
33	Musical Instruments	96.78	110.74	124.70	+28.8%
34	Clocks & Watches	85.34	97.63	109.92	+28.8%
35	Photographic Equipment	75.25	86.08	96.92	+28.8%
36	Optical Goods	66.34	75.90	85.46	+28.8%
37	Toys & Games	58.45	66.88	75.31	+28.8%
38	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	51.52	58.96	66.40	+28.9%
39	Service Sector	45.38	51.93	58.48	+28.9%
40	Non-manufacturing	39.84	45.58	51.32	+28.8%

Ranked by R&D spend, 2023-24 is led by Transportation Equipment (₹39,136.95 Cr). Use the year picker to switch between 2021-22 to 2023-24, or Trend to compare all years per industry. Note: listed industry groups sum to ₹122,663.76 Cr against a stated sector total of ₹110,553.49 Cr (a ₹12,110.27 Cr difference), which suggests one listed group overlaps another. Sector totals above use the source total row.

Public Industry R&D — Top Groups

Top 15 industries — pick a year or compare all

#	Industry Group	2021-22 (₹ Cr)	2022-23 (₹ Cr)	2023-24 (₹ Cr)	Change
1	Defence & Aerospace	3,832.45	4,379.30	4,926.14	+28.5%
2	Fuels & Petroleum	2,052.40	2,346.74	2,641.08	+28.7%
3	Industrial Equipment & Machinery	542.07	619.84	697.60	+28.7%
4	Metallurgical Industries	434.03	496.21	558.38	+28.7%
5	Boilers & Pressure Vessels	376.02	429.83	483.63	+28.6%
6	Electrical Equipment	227.45	260.02	292.58	+28.6%
7	Fertilizers & Chemicals	195.26	223.44	251.62	+28.9%
8	Textiles	140.18	160.35	180.52	+28.8%
9	Paper & Paper Products	85.34	97.61	109.88	+28.8%
10	Rubber & Plastic Products	72.46	82.89	93.32	+28.8%
11	Food & Food Processing	65.28	74.69	84.10	+28.8%
12	Glass & Ceramics	55.40	63.40	71.40	+28.9%
13	Electronic Equipment	48.32	55.28	62.24	+28.8%
14	Construction Materials	42.15	48.23	54.31	+28.8%
15	Leather & Leather Products	35.24	40.32	45.40	+28.8%
16	Vehicles & Auto Parts	28.46	32.56	36.66	+28.8%
17	Printing & Publishing	22.34	25.57	28.80	+28.9%
18	Wood & Wood Products	18.25	20.88	23.51	+28.8%
19	Mining & Quarrying	15.62	17.88	20.14	+28.9%
20	Ship Building & Repair	12.45	14.24	16.03	+28.8%
21	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	9.85	11.27	12.69	+28.8%
22	Non-manufacturing	6.72	7.69	8.66	+28.9%

Public sector industrial R&D is concentrated in strategic domains, led in 2023-24 by Defence & Aerospace (₹4,926.14 Cr). Use the year picker to switch between 2021-22 to 2023-24, or Trend to compare all years per industry.

Industry R&D Sector Share

Private vs Public R&D proportion (latest year)

Year	Private (₹ Cr)	Public (₹ Cr)	Total (₹ Cr)
2021-22	85,817.44	8,317.53	94,134.97
2022-23	98,185.47	9,508.65	107,694.12
2023-24	110,553.49	10,055.77	120,609.26

Private industry accounts for 91.7% of industrial R&D in 2023-24 (₹110,553 Cr) against 8.3% public (₹10,056 Cr). Source: S&T Indicators industrial R&D table (sector totals).

S&T Expenditure by Type of Work

Basic / Applied / Experimental Development / Other S&T — % of Total S&T

Year	Basic Research	Applied Research	Experimental Development	Other S&T Activities	Total S&T (₹ Cr)
2021-22	18,012.42 (20.33%)	29,849.80 (33.69%)	37,196.30 (41.98%)	3,548.04 (4%)	88,606.56
2022-23	18,415.06 (19.95%)	31,098.59 (33.69%)	38,720.91 (41.95%)	4,073.40 (4.41%)	92,307.96
2023-24	18,756.64 (19.2%)	32,927.66 (33.71%)	41,495.87 (42.48%)	4,502.75 (4.61%)	97,682.92

In 2023-24, total S&T expenditure of ₹97,682.92 Cr split into Experimental Development 42.48%, Applied Research 33.71%, Basic Research 19.2% and Other related S&T activities 4.61%. R&D proper accounts for 95.39% of S&T spend, an application-oriented profile typical of an economy building industrial capability. Source: S&T Indicators Table 11 (S&T = R&D + Other related S&T activities).

Sector-wise Character of Research

Four types of work by sector — pick a year

Year	Sector	Basic Research	Applied Research	Experimental Development	Other S&T Activities	Total S&T (₹ Cr)
2021-22	Central Government	15,163.99 (21.01%)	23,349.07 (32.34%)	32,476.88 (44.99%)	1,200.70 (1.66%)	72,190.64
2021-22	State Government	1,613.08 (16.7%)	3,858.92 (39.95%)	2,922.24 (30.25%)	1,265.09 (13.1%)	9,659.33
2021-22	SIRO	1,235.35 (18.28%)	2,641.81 (39.1%)	1,797.18 (26.6%)	1,082.25 (16.02%)	6,756.59
2021-22	Total	18,012.42 (20.33%)	29,849.80 (33.69%)	37,196.30 (41.98%)	3,548.04 (4%)	88,606.56
2022-23	Central Government	15,168.73 (20.58%)	23,816.37 (32.31%)	33,347.87 (45.24%)	1,373.48 (1.86%)	73,706.45
2022-23	State Government	1,767.95 (16.75%)	4,219.29 (39.98%)	3,206.04 (30.38%)	1,359.31 (12.88%)	10,552.59
2022-23	SIRO	1,478.38 (18.37%)	3,062.93 (38.05%)	2,167.00 (26.92%)	1,340.61 (16.66%)	8,048.92
2022-23	Total	18,415.06 (19.95%)	31,098.59 (33.69%)	38,720.91 (41.95%)	4,073.40 (4.41%)	92,307.96
2023-24	Central Government	15,174.79 (19.67%)	24,897.45 (32.27%)	35,536.39 (46.06%)	1,536.69 (1.99%)	77,145.32
2023-24	State Government	1,892.19 (16.85%)	4,479.65 (39.9%)	3,424.26 (30.5%)	1,430.98 (12.75%)	11,227.08
2023-24	SIRO	1,689.66 (18.15%)	3,550.56 (38.13%)	2,535.22 (27.23%)	1,535.08 (16.49%)	9,310.52
2023-24	Total	18,756.64 (19.2%)	32,927.66 (33.71%)	41,495.87 (42.48%)	4,502.75 (4.61%)	97,682.92

Each sector's work profile differs. Experimental Development is led by Central Government (46.06%), Applied Research by State Government (39.9%), Basic Research by Central Government (19.67%), and Other related S&T activities by SIRO (16.49%). Use the year picker to compare 2023-24 with earlier years. Source: S&T Indicators Table 11 (S&T = R&D + Other related S&T activities).

Research Character Distribution

Composition of Total S&T (₹ Crore) — pick a year

Year	Sector	Basic Research	Applied Research	Experimental Development	Other S&T Activities	Total S&T (₹ Cr)
2021-22	Central Government	15,163.99 (21.01%)	23,349.07 (32.34%)	32,476.88 (44.99%)	1,200.70 (1.66%)	72,190.64
2021-22	State Government	1,613.08 (16.7%)	3,858.92 (39.95%)	2,922.24 (30.25%)	1,265.09 (13.1%)	9,659.33
2021-22	SIRO	1,235.35 (18.28%)	2,641.81 (39.1%)	1,797.18 (26.6%)	1,082.25 (16.02%)	6,756.59
2021-22	Total	18,012.42 (20.33%)	29,849.80 (33.69%)	37,196.30 (41.98%)	3,548.04 (4%)	88,606.56
2022-23	Central Government	15,168.73 (20.58%)	23,816.37 (32.31%)	33,347.87 (45.24%)	1,373.48 (1.86%)	73,706.45
2022-23	State Government	1,767.95 (16.75%)	4,219.29 (39.98%)	3,206.04 (30.38%)	1,359.31 (12.88%)	10,552.59
2022-23	SIRO	1,478.38 (18.37%)	3,062.93 (38.05%)	2,167.00 (26.92%)	1,340.61 (16.66%)	8,048.92
2022-23	Total	18,415.06 (19.95%)	31,098.59 (33.69%)	38,720.91 (41.95%)	4,073.40 (4.41%)	92,307.96
2023-24	Central Government	15,174.79 (19.67%)	24,897.45 (32.27%)	35,536.39 (46.06%)	1,536.69 (1.99%)	77,145.32
2023-24	State Government	1,892.19 (16.85%)	4,479.65 (39.9%)	3,424.26 (30.5%)	1,430.98 (12.75%)	11,227.08
2023-24	SIRO	1,689.66 (18.15%)	3,550.56 (38.13%)	2,535.22 (27.23%)	1,535.08 (16.49%)	9,310.52
2023-24	Total	18,756.64 (19.2%)	32,927.66 (33.71%)	41,495.87 (42.48%)	4,502.75 (4.61%)	97,682.92

Composition of Total S&T in 2023-24 (₹97,682.92 Cr): Experimental Development 42.48%, Applied Research 33.71%, Basic Research 19.2% and Other related S&T activities 4.61%. Use the year picker to view each year's distribution. Source: S&T Indicators Table 11 (S&T = R&D + Other related S&T activities).

Total R&D Personnel by Field

Scientific & technical personnel by discipline — 2023-24

Year	Category	Male	Female	Total
2023-24	Agricultural Sciences	20,886	6,383	27,269
2023-24	Engineering & Technology	115,702	25,442	141,144
2023-24	Medical Sciences	44,464	17,446	61,910
2023-24	Natural Sciences	23,248	9,280	32,528
2023-24	Social Sciences & Humanities	3,201	2,571	5,772

Engineering & Technology accounts for 52.5% of India's R&D workforce (141,144 of 268,623 total personnel in 2023-24). Strengthening STEM education and research fellowships remains critical to scaling up R&D manpower.

R&D Manpower by Field of Science

Male & Female personnel by category — 2023-24

Field / Category	Male	Female	Total
Agricultural Sciences	20,886	6,383	27,269
Engineering & Technology	115,702	25,442	141,144
Medical Sciences	44,464	17,446	61,910
Natural Sciences	23,248	9,280	32,528
Social Sciences & Humanities	3,201	2,571	5,772

In 2023-24, the gender gap in R&D manpower persists — male researchers outnumber female researchers across all fields. Medical Sciences shows relatively higher female participation. Policies like KIRAN and CURIE schemes aim to increase women's participation in scientific careers.

Gender Participation Rate

Male vs Female R&D personnel — 2023-24

Field / Category	Male	Female	Total
Agricultural Sciences	20,886	6,383	27,269
Engineering & Technology	115,702	25,442	141,144
Medical Sciences	44,464	17,446	61,910
Natural Sciences	23,248	9,280	32,528
Social Sciences & Humanities	3,201	2,571	5,772

Women constitute 22.8% (61,122) of India's R&D workforce of 268,623 in 2023-24. India targets 30% female participation in STEM by 2030. Improving gender parity in R&D is both a social equity and national competitiveness imperative.

HERD — Higher Education R&D Expenditure

Year-wise growth trend (₹ Crore)

Year	HERD Amount (₹ Cr)	Type
2001-02	714.80	Actual
2010-11	3,306.74	Actual
2013-14	4,010.05	Actual
2014-15	5,512.83	Actual
2015-16	6,095.18	Actual
2016-17	6,888.17	Actual
2017-18	7,784.33	Actual
2018-19	8,797.08	Actual
2019-20	9,941.59	Actual
2020-21	11,235.00	Actual
2021-22	24,085.80	Actual
2022-23	27,579.29	Actual
2023-24	30,908.53	Actual
2024-25	35,127.90	Estimated
2025-26	40,015.52	Estimated

HERD grew from ₹715 Cr (2001-02) to ₹30,909 Cr (2023-24), reflecting India's expanding higher education R&D ecosystem. It is estimated to reach ₹40,016 Cr by 2025-26. Institutions like IITs, IISc, NITs, and Central Universities are major contributors to HERD. * 2024-25 and 2025-26 figures are estimated/extrapolated.

Patent Filing & Growth Trends

Applications Filed vs Granted — year-wise trend

Year	Filed	Granted	In Force	Grant Rate %
2013-14	42,951	4,226	42,632	9.8%
2014-15	42,763	5,978	43,256	14%
2015-16	46,904	6,326	44,524	13.5%
2016-17	45,444	9,847	48,765	21.7%
2017-18	47,854	13,045	56,764	27.3%
2018-19	50,659	15,283	64,686	30.2%
2019-20	56,267	24,936	81,279	44.3%
2020-21	58,503	28,385	98,898	48.5%
2021-22	66,440	30,073	115,916	45.3%
2022-23	82,811	34,134	137,333	41.2%
2023-24	92,168	103,057	223,245	111.8%
2024-25	110,375	33,504	230,480	30.4%

Patent filings grew from 42,951 (2013-14) to 110,375 (2024-25) — a 2.6× increase. India is now among the world's top 5 patent-filing nations, driven by the National IPR Policy 2016 and DPIIT initiatives.

Patents in Force Trends

Active patent portfolio growth over years

Year	Filed	Granted	In Force	Grant Rate %
2013-14	42,951	4,226	42,632	9.8%
2014-15	42,763	5,978	43,256	14%
2015-16	46,904	6,326	44,524	13.5%
2016-17	45,444	9,847	48,765	21.7%
2017-18	47,854	13,045	56,764	27.3%
2018-19	50,659	15,283	64,686	30.2%
2019-20	56,267	24,936	81,279	44.3%
2020-21	58,503	28,385	98,898	48.5%
2021-22	66,440	30,073	115,916	45.3%
2022-23	82,811	34,134	137,333	41.2%
2023-24	92,168	103,057	223,245	111.8%
2024-25	110,375	33,504	230,480	30.4%

Patents in force surged to 230,480 in 2024-25, reflecting a rapidly growing active patent portfolio. A strong in-force count indicates robust IP protection and technology commercialisation activity by Indian innovators.

Patents Sealed — Indian vs Foreign

Actual patents granted per year (stack height = year total)

Year	Filed	Granted	In Force	Grant Rate %
2013-14	42,951	4,226	42,632	9.8%
2014-15	42,763	5,978	43,256	14%
2015-16	46,904	6,326	44,524	13.5%
2016-17	45,444	9,847	48,765	21.7%
2017-18	47,854	13,045	56,764	27.3%
2018-19	50,659	15,283	64,686	30.2%
2019-20	56,267	24,936	81,279	44.3%
2020-21	58,503	28,385	98,898	48.5%
2021-22	66,440	30,073	115,916	45.3%
2022-23	82,811	34,134	137,333	41.2%
2023-24	92,168	103,057	223,245	111.8%
2024-25	110,375	33,504	230,480	30.4%

In 2024-25, 33,504 patents were sealed — 10,682 to Indian and 22,822 to foreign applicants. The peak was 2023-24 at 103,057, as the patent office cleared a historic backlog. Counts are shown rather than a grant rate because grants in a year are not drawn only from that year's filings, so a ratio of the two can exceed 100% and misread as an error. Source: S&T Indicators Table 33.

State-wise Patent Filing Trends

Applications filed by State/UT — 2020-21 to 2024-25

#	State / UT	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	Change
1	Tamil Nadu	3,945	5,262	7,686	9,565	15,440	+291.4%
2	Karnataka	2,784	3,222	5,408	6,086	8,371	+200.7%
3	Maharashtra	4,214	4,566	5,626	7,251	7,893	+87.3%
4	Others (States/UTs)	1,911	2,277	4,197	3,676	6,134	+221%
5	Uttar Pradesh	2,317	3,622	5,564	5,779	5,703	+146.1%
6	Punjab	1,650	2,197	3,405	4,604	4,461	+170.4%
7	Telangana	1,662	1,750	2,438	2,807	4,293	+158.3%
8	Andhra Pradesh	709	934	1,445	2,134	3,582	+405.2%
9	Gujarat	921	1,067	1,215	2,718	2,743	+197.8%
10	Delhi	1,608	1,673	1,960	2,002	2,520	+56.7%
11	Rajasthan	449	465	1,278	1,466	2,003	+346.1%
12	Haryana	765	998	959	1,014	1,521	+98.8%
13	West Bengal	505	453	808	874	1,415	+180.2%
14	Madhya Pradesh	398	488	646	726	971	+144%
15	Kerala	426	454	497	637	827	+94.1%
16	Bihar	62	80	169	235	324	+422.6%

Filings by Indian applicants rose from 24,326 in 2020-21 to 68,201 in 2024-25, a 180.4% increase. Tamil Nadu leads in 2024-25 with 15,440 applications. Use the year picker for a single year, or Trend to compare all years per State. Source: S&T Indicators Table 32.

Top Foreign Resident Patent Applicants in India

Applications filed per organisation — 2022-23 to 2024-25

#	Organisation	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	Change
1	Qualcomm Incorporated	3,482	3,017	2,949	-15.3%
2	Nokia Technologies OY	359	517	1,582	+340.7%
3	Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.	979	1,555	1,563	+59.7%
4	Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co. Ltd.	237	457	700	+195.4%
5	LG Electronics Inc.	326	#	675	+107.1%
6	Google LLC	#	479	626	—
7	Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.	936	681	521	-44.3%
8	Apple Inc.	575	516	409	-28.9%
9	Mercedes-Benz Group AG	#	407	391	—
10	Interdigital Patent Holdings, Inc	#	#	349	—
11	Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC	428	#	#	—
12	Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)	434	462	#	—
13	LG Energy Solution, Ltd.	288	458	#	—
# During the period under reference these organisations did not fall among top patentees.

Ranked by 2024-25 filings, Qualcomm Incorporated leads with 2,949 applications. Telecom and consumer-electronics firms dominate foreign resident filing in India. A gap in a series means the organisation did not fall among the top patentees that year, which is not the same as zero filings. Source: S&T Indicators Table 34.

Scientific Publications Growth Trends

Source: NSF/Scopus

Year	Total Publications
2012	78,135
2013	86,162
2014	94,994
2015	104,731
2016	115,465
2017	127,301
2018	140,349
2019	154,735
2020	170,596
2021	188,082
2022	207,390

India ranks among the world's top 3 in scientific publication volume (Source: NSF/Scopus). Sustained growth in publications reflects expanding university research capacity and increased collaboration with global institutions. India aims to lead in high-citation-impact research by 2030.

Disclaimer: Data sourced from NSTMIS, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Figures marked * are estimated. The information is provided for reference purposes only and may be subject to revision. | Source: R&D Statistics at a Glance, DST, Govt. of India.

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