Rs 1 Lakh Crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund: Financing India's Deep-Tech and Technology Commercialisation Category GS Date Data rule Science & Technology, Innovation and Economy GS Paper III 3 September 2026 20+ numerical facts
WHY IN NEWS
- At the 30 th Foundation Day of the Technology Development Board on 1 September 2026, the government called for wider awareness of the Rs 1 lakh crore RDI Fund.
- The fund targets the commercialisation gap between research and market-scale deployment.
- The challenge is especially important in deep-tech sectors with long development cycles and high technical risk.
TOP DATA & FACTS FOR UPSC
- **RDI Scheme **total outlay: Rs 1 lakh crore.
- Scheme period: 6 years.
- Cabinet approval date: 1 July 2025.
- Formal launch date: 3 November 2025.
- Technology Development Board Foundation Day in 2026: 30 th.
- Union Budget allocation for FY 2025 - 26: Rs 20,000 crore.
- Financial assistance sanctioned to TDB: Rs 1,000 crore.
- Financial assistance sanctioned to BIRAC: Rs 1,000 crore.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
- India built a large public research system after independence through CSIR, DRDO, DAE, ISRO and national laboratories.
- The Technology Development Board was created to support commercialisation of indigenous technologies.
- Startup policy later added incubators, venture finance and mission-based innovation.
- The Rs 1 lakh crore **RDI Scheme **is designed to add long-tenor finance at a scale larger than ordinary grant programmes.