Pariksha SaathiAt the inauguration of ESTIC 2026, the Prime Minister says a total new commitment of 24 thousand crore rupees was made for Research and Development in just one year
In his address at the inauguration of the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 27 October 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that decades ago science and technology meant catching up for India, but that the India of the 21st century now aims to create new technologies, set their direction and develop the capacity to solve the world's problems. Noting that the nation will celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha on 30 October, he said India is working rapidly on its Fast Breeder Reactor technology and that a few months ago the country's 500-Megawatt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor reached First Criticality. Citing achievements in the space sector, he said an Indian space start-up placed a satellite in orbit with a Made in India rocket on its very first attempt and that India has also acquired satellite docking capability; he added that this year India held the AI Impact Summit and launched its own model, and that the first shipments of chips made in India have begun reaching the world. Recalling that on the same platform last year a resolve was taken for an arrangement of one lakh crore rupees for Research, Development and Innovation, the Prime Minister said that in the past year about 12 thousand crore rupees have been committed for technologies that are ready to move from the lab to the market, and that private investors are partnering equally in this: alongside the government's commitment of 12 thousand crore rupees, the private sector is also investing 12 thousand crore rupees, meaning that a total new commitment of 24 thousand crore rupees has been made for Research and Development in just one year. He said that ten years ago fewer than 50 thousand patent applications were filed in a year, and that last year the number reached about one and a half lakh. He spoke of the Brain Centre he inaugurated at IIT Madras a few days ago, which is developing high-resolution digital 3D images of the human brain, repeated the call 'Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan', said that AI should enrich rather than limit the independent thinking of scientists and that the responsibility for verifying an answer must remain with the scientist, and urged every researcher, industry leader, start-up founder and student at the Conclave to set a concrete goal of the technology, prototype, pilot project or product they would help develop in the next three years, so that the Conclave becomes a platform for measurable outcomes.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
Last year's conclave, ESTIC 2025, was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 3 to 5 November 2025. Addressing it on 3 November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme with an allocation of ₹1 lakh crore, which aims to promote a private sector-driven research and development ecosystem in the country; he said that for the first time capital was being made available for high-risk and high-impact projects, and he ended his address by invoking the spirit of 'Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan'. He also said that the Anusandhan National Research Foundation had been established to scale up research and innovation in Indian universities. ESTIC 2025 was to bring together over 3,000 participants from academia, research institutions, industry and government, with deliberations to focus on 11 key thematic areas, including Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Science & Technology, Blue Economy and Space Technologies. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, and Nobel Laureate Sir Andre Geim were present at the event.
Check yourself: when and where was ESTIC 2025 held, and which scheme, with what allocation, did the Prime Minister launch while addressing it?
At Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 3 to 5 November 2025; the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with an allocation of ₹1 lakh crore.
Revision task: from this release, note what the Prime Minister said about the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, the space, AI and chip milestones he listed, the Research and Development commitments made in one year (government, private sector and total), the patent application figures and the goal he asked participants to set; from the note, when and where ESTIC 2025 was held, the scheme launched there and its allocation, and the slogan 'Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan'.
Test yourself
In his address at the inauguration of the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026 on 27 October 2026, what total new commitment for Research and Development, counting both the government and the private sector, did the Prime Minister say had been made in just one year?
Show the answer
Answer: 24 thousand crore rupees
The Prime Minister said that in the past year about 12 thousand crore rupees have been committed for technologies ready to move from the lab to the market, and that private investors are partnering equally in this: alongside the government's commitment of 12 thousand crore rupees, the private sector is also investing 12 thousand crore rupees, meaning that a total new commitment of 24 thousand crore rupees has been made for Research and Development in just one year. He recalled that on the same platform last year a resolve was taken for an arrangement of one lakh crore rupees for Research, Development and Innovation.
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