Scientific Research & Innovation is a national concept and policy framework in India, primarily defined by a series of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Policies. The foundational policy was the Scientific Policy Resolution (SPR 1958), drafted under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, which established the foundation for scientific enterprise and temper in India. The SPR 1958 was created to solve the problem of nation-building by recognizing that investments in science and technology were essential for creating a welfare state and achieving socio-economic transformation.
The framework has evolved through four major policies: SPR 1958, Technology Policy Statement 1983, Science and Technology Policy 2003 (STP 2003), and the Science Technology Innovation Policy 2013 (STIP 2013). The latest iteration is the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020), which is India's fifth such policy. STIP 2020 aims to enhance research quality, promote innovation, and support startups through a decentralized, bottom-up, and inclusive design process, jointly formulated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (Office of PSA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
A significant recent change is the establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023 (25 of 2023), which came into force on February 5, 2024. The ANRF provides high-level strategic direction for research and innovation and connects to the new Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme. Other related concepts and institutions include the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), launched in 2016, and the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scheme, which nurtures young scientific talent. The policy framework is designed to increase India's Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD), which more than doubled from ₹60,196.75 crore in 2010–11 to ₹1,27,380.96 crore in 2020–21.