Translating research into commercial technology remains India's weakest link in its innovation chain. How can bilateral industry-led R&D programmes help close this gap?

India's Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) is only 0.64% of GDP (2020-21), and the private sector contributes only about 36% of it [1]. Firms are the ones that turn lab output into products, so their small role makes lab-to-market India's weakest link. Bilateral industry-led R&D can narrow this gap, but it can only add to domestic reform, not replace it.

Why translation lags

• Low business R&D: in countries that spend about 2% of GDP or more on research, the private sector funds over half of it [2]. In India, the state dominates [1].
• Lab–market disconnect: publicly funded labs produce papers and prototypes but rarely have industry partners to scale, test and sell them.

How bilateral industry-led programmes help

• Industry in the driving seat: the 8th India–UK Science and Innovation Council (New Delhi, 2026) prioritised moving research into "technologies and commercial use" through industry-led R&D [3].
• Co-funded, output-focused pilots: DST–Innovate UK has 8 projects in advanced manufacturing, power electronics and net-zero technologies. They aim to create IP, processes and prototypes [3].
• Access to frontier firms: the BRIC-CDFD–Oxford Nanopore Genomics Centre of Excellence connects Indian researchers with a private UK sequencing company [3].
• Trusted technology access: the Technology Security Initiative links cooperation in AI, telecom and biotech to shared security priorities. It plans joint AI/secure-telecom and 5G/6G centres [4]. Such technologies are usually shared only with trusted partners.
• Whole-of-government delivery: the PSA, DST, DBT, ANRF and TDB were all at the table [3]. This allows follow-on financing for scale-up.

Limits and way forward

• Scale: eight projects with no disclosed funding or results are a pilot, not a fix [3]. Raising the private share of R&D needs domestic incentives [1].
• IP and data terms: DBT/BRIC should publish the genomics centre's data-sharing and IP terms, so that Indian samples produce Indian benefit [3].
• Openness: a security framing can restrict data and participation, so India must keep its freedom to work with other partners [4].
• Tracking: DST should publish a scorecard after each meeting (funds, IP filed, products launched), and ANRF should fund the projects that succeed.

Bilateral industry-led programmes reduce the risk of commercialisation by bringing together capital, markets and frontier firms. If they are linked to ANRF funding and domestic incentives, and tracked for outcomes, they can move India from strength in the lab to leadership in the market. That would advance Atmanirbhar Bharat and SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure).