Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday of significant progress made in the growth of the Bharat 6G Alliance and the strengthening of India’s research ecosystem through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.
Scindia underlined that the Bharat 6G Alliance, established under the guidance of PM Modi, has witnessed substantial growth and India aims to contribute nearly 10 per cent of global 6G patents, with around 4,000 patents already contributed.
India’s proposal on ubiquitous connectivity has also been accepted by international bodies such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). From an initial 14 institutions, the Bharat 6G Alliance has expanded to 85.
Seven working groups have been constituted, focusing on spectrum, devices, technology and components, alliances, green and sustainability, outreach, and 6G use cases. He noted that the ministry undertakes a quarterly analysis of all seven working groups to ensure steady progress.
Responding to a query, the minister stated that the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established under the leadership of PM Modi and became operational in February 2024 with the objective of imparting fresh momentum to innovation and research in the country.
He stated that the foundation operates through a Governing Council and an Executive Council to ensure effective, transparent decision-making. ANRF aims to raise Rs 50,000 crore in funds during 2023-28. A budgetary provision of Rs 14,000 crore is made by the Central Government, and the remaining amount will be sourced through donations from any other source, including public sector enterprises, the private sector, philanthropic organisations, foundations, or international bodies.
Elaborating further, Scindia highlighted that this budgetary provision has been announced to support key programmes aimed at advancing cutting-edge research, which include the Mission for Advancement in High Impact Areas, EV Mission, 2D Innovation Hub, MedTech Mission, AI for Science and Engineering, and the CRM Research Programme.
In addition, several grant initiatives, such as the Advanced Research Grant, the Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant, and the Inclusivity Research Grant, have been introduced to broaden participation in research and innovation.
The government has also announced the Rs 1.0 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme to provide long-term financial support for undertaking research and innovation in critical and emerging technology areas vital for national development and global competitiveness.
The Department of Science and Technology is the nodal department for implementing the RDI Scheme. The minister added that the scheme aims to catalyse private sector investment in research and development and support innovation in key domains such as energy security and climate action; deep technologies, including quantum computing, robotics and space technologies; artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies; as well as biotechnology and medical devices.