“Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) = Total R&D spending in the country (public + private + higher education + other sectors) in a given year.”
Growth in GERD (Last Decade)
- Overall increase (absolute numbers)
- GERD has more than doubled in 10 years:
- 2010–11: ₹60,196.75 crore
- 2020–21: ₹1,27,380.96 crore
- GERD has more than doubled in 10 years:
- Per capita GERD (PPP)
- Per capita R&D expenditure has risen steadily:
- 2007–08: PPP$ 29.2
- 2020–21: PPP$ 42.0
- PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) adjusts for price‐level differences across countries, so it reflects real research spending power per person.
- Per capita R&D expenditure has risen steadily:
Sectoral Composition of GERD
- Government vs Private Sector
- Government sector: ~64% of India’s total GERD
- Private sector: ~36% of GERD
- Within Government Sector
- Central Government alone contributes 43.7% of total R&D expenditure (PIB key takeaway).
- State governments, public sector enterprises and higher‐education institutions account for the remaining public share.
Human Capital and Output Linked to GERD
- Research Degrees (S&E PhDs)
- As per NSF Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 (USA):
- India awarded 40,813 PhDs (2018–19), of which
- 24,474 (~60%) were in Science & Technology.
- India ranks 3rd globally in S&E PhDs (after USA and China).
- As per NSF Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 (USA):
- Patent Activity (Innovation Output)
- Patents filed in India have nearly tripled:
- 2020–21: 24,326 patents filed
- 2024–25: 68,176 patents filed
- Indicates rising innovation intensity corresponding to higher GERD.
- Patents filed in India have nearly tripled:
Significance of Rising GERD for India
- Supports India’s push towards a knowledge-driven, self-reliant economy (Viksit Bharat@2047).
- Higher GERD strengthens capacity in health, energy, digital tech, manufacturing, frontier technologies.
- Strong public share (64%) provides baseline stability, while growing private share is crucial for commercialisation and deep-tech innovation.
