Efforts to Make ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047

General Studies Paper-3

Context: India has been making several efforts through key interventions in the field of Science and Technology towards achieving ‘Viksit Bharat’ 2047 Goal.

India’s Vision 2047: Viksit Bharat

• India’s vision for 2047, known as ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), aims to transform the nation into a developed economy by the time it celebrates its 100th anniversary of its independence.
• Achieving this ambitious goal requires comprehensive efforts across various sectors, with science and technology playing a pivotal role.

Efforts Made in Science & Technology

• High-Stakes Mission-Driven Initiatives like National Quantum Mission and the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, focussing on positioning India as a global leader in emerging technologies.
• Strategic Policy Measures: These include the Geospatial Policy 2022, the Space Policy 2023, and the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment) Policy 2024.
  • These policies aim to enhance India’s technological capabilities and promote sustainable development.
• Global Leadership in Science and Technology: India ranks 3rd in terms of number of research publications as per Science & Engineering Indicators 2024 published by National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.
  • India ranks 4th in the number of PhD degrees awarded in Science and Engineering as per Science & Engineering Indicators 2024 published by National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.
  • India is ranked at 6th position both in terms of resident and non-resident patent filing activity from respective countries as per WIPO Report, 2023.
• Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) in India: GERD in India has been consistently increasing over the years and has more than doubled from 2009-10 to 2020-21.
  • As per DST R&D Statistics 2022-23, India occupies 7th position in terms of GERD (in billion current PPP$) ahead of United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Spain, Australia, etc
  • Gender participation in R&D has increased to 18.6% (2021) from 14.3 % (2009) as per DST R&D Statistics, 2022-23.
  • The number of researchers per million population has increased to 262 in 2020 as compared to 164 in 2009 as per DST R&D Statistics, 2022-23.
• Startup Culture and Innovation Ecosystem: India has witnessed a significant jump in its Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking from 81st in the year 2015 to 39th in 2024 among 133 economies of the world.
  • India also ranked 3rd in terms of the total number of startups in 2024 as per DPIIT.
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): It was established through the ANRF Act 2023 that aims to drive a multi-phased roadmap for scientific breakthroughs and cross-sectoral collaboration, providing competitive, peer-reviewed grants to optimize resource allocation for high-impact research.
• Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Technology: It has held detailed discussions to identify key areas for intervention.
  • These discussions have resulted in strategic actions to strengthen research and innovation in areas such as Quantum Technologies, Cyber-Physical Systems, and Bio Manufacturing.

Challenges and Way Forward

• Despite these efforts, challenges such as economic inequalities, infrastructure gaps, policy uncertainty, concerns related to environment, skill development, rural youth and global risks remain.
• Addressing these challenges requires consistent fiscal and monetary policies, skill development, boosting exports, rural development, and scaling up renewable energy capacity.