India’s GERD: Level, Trends and Composition

“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
• 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.

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).
• 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.

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.