Post by Abhay Karandikar

It was a pleasure to participate in an engaging panel discussion on ‘Catalysing India’s infrastructure and technology-led growth’ at Annual Investor Conference 2026, organised by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). I was joined by Shri. S Krishnan Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Shri. V. Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways - India & we explored how public–private partnerships can accelerate India’s next phase of infrastructure and innovation-driven development. The panel was moderated by Shri Prasad Gadkari of #NIIF. During the discussion, I highlighted the ₹1 lakh crore India Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund for supporting deep-tech innovation and R&D in the private sector. The fund will focus on bridging the critical financing gap for technologies in the TRL 4–6 stage. Established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the fund will operate through professional second-level fund managers and act as patient capital, catalysing private investment and mitigating early-stage risks in deep-tech innovation. With the goal of mobilising investments in R&D and nurturing 5–10 globally competitive technology companies over the next decade, this initiative aims to strengthen India’s research-to-innovation pipeline and accelerate technology-led economic growth. Dr Jitendra Singh Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India