India Needs Stronger R&D Ecosystem to Commercialise Clean Energy Innovations: DST Secretary.

Low research spending, limited private investment, and gaps in technology deployment highlight the need for stronger industry-academia collaboration to accelerate the energy transition.   India must strengthen its research and development (R&D) ecosystem to convert scientific innovations into commercially viable clean energy solutions, said Umesh V Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 in New Delhi. Highlighting the funding gap, Waghmare noted that India spends around 0.7% of its GDP on R&D, with the private sector contributing just 6% of the expenditure. He stressed the need for greater private investment and government support to accelerate innovation and technology commercialisation. He said government funding initiatives aim to bridge financial gaps and share risks across the technology value chain, from research to deployment. Waghmare also identified energy storage, transmission infrastructure, grid balancing and renewable integration as key challenges. He emphasised coordinated efforts involving technology, finance, regulation and industry to ensure sustainable energy solutions reach consumers and businesses.