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Industryresearcher partnerships necessary from concept to commercialisation: Dr Jitendra Singh

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday urged industry to become a cocreator in Indias technology journey, working with researchers from project conception through development, scaleup and commercialisation. Addressing the third edition of IITK Samanvay 2026, here, Dr. Singh called for greater domestic and international investment in deep technologies and a stronger culture of research philanthropy. Industry should engage with researchers at the earliest stages to identify practical applications, develop viable business models and accelerate the journey from lab to land, from idea to impact, and from prototype to product, Dr. Singh said, according to the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology. The minister referred to the Rs. 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund announced by PM Narendra Modi as a vehicle to boost industry participation in deeptech development and cited liberalisation of foreign direct investment in strategic sectors as part of efforts to mobilise resources. Dr. Singh highlighted Indias expanding tech and startup ecosystem to over 400 space startups. He placed the countrys space economy at around $9 billion, with projections of reaching $45 billion by the end of the decade. The minister also referred to the growth of Indias startup ecosystem to around 2.5 lakh startups and the expansion of the bio-manufacturing sector from approximately $10 billion to nearly $200 billion over about a decade. He attributed these developments to policy support, an enabling ecosystem and greater emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. Dr. Singh said Indias long-term development would depend on its ability to build self-reliance through indigenous manufacturing, technology development and the effective use of domestic resources. Scientific and technological self-reliance would shape Indias geopolitical sovereignty and its standing in the international arena, he noted.