Research and Development (ppt), UGC-MMTTC, Gauhati University, 08-12-2025
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
The ANRF Act was passed in 2023 to replace the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). The foundation is designed to fundamentally change the way research is funded, governed, and linked to industry in India.
1. Core Objectives and Mandate
The primary goal of the ANRF is to seed, grow, and facilitate research and development across all academic and research institutions, specifically moving beyond the elite few and extending support to State universities and colleges.
Democratization of Research: Its key mandate is to expand the research ecosystem by providing support to universities and colleges that currently receive minimal R&D funding.
Focus on National Priority: The ANRF will strategically fund research in areas aligned with national needs and strategic sectors, such as clean energy, quantum computing, and affordable healthcare, linking science directly to societal impact.
Encouraging Private Sector Participation: It aims to dramatically increase the private sector's investment in R&D, making it the majority contributor to research funding in the country.
2. Financial Structure and Funding Mechanism
The ANRF has been allocated a massive outlay of ₹50,000 crore (over five years). Crucially, this funding is structured to shift the financial burden and ownership of R&D from the government to industry partners.
Government Contribution: Approximately ₹14,000 crore will come directly from the government budget (SERB grants being absorbed and increased).
Private Sector Contribution: The remaining ₹36,000 crore (over 70% of the total corpus) is expected to be sourced from industry and philanthropic organizations.
This will be achieved through partnerships, industry-specific grants, and incentivizing companies to invest in ANRF-sponsored research projects.
3. Expected Impact on the R&D Ecosystem
The ANRF is projected to solve the core challenges currently facing Indian R&D:
Addressing the Funding Gap: By successfully leveraging private funds, the ANRF aims to nearly double the R&D expenditure over five years, moving India closer to the aspirational $2\%$ GERD/GDP target.
Strengthening Academia-Industry Linkage: The foundation will function as the main interface between academic researchers and industrial sponsors. Industry will identify the problems, and ANRF will fund the academic groups best suited to solve them, facilitating a true "lab-to-market" transition.
Decentralizing Research: By specifically earmarking funds for State universities, the ANRF ensures that research capability is built in institutions that primarily focus on teaching, creating a pipeline of trained researchers across the country.
Attracting and Retaining Talent: The ability to access larger, consistent grants will make research careers in India more attractive, potentially helping to mitigate the brain drain phenomenon.
In essence, the ANRF aims to transform India's R&D funding model from a primarily government-led system to a shared, decentralized, and strategically focused partnership between the State, academia, and the private sector.