Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 18: Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh has called the newly-constituted ‘Anusandhan’ National Research Foundation (ANRF) a pivotal body for steering scientific innovation across government departments, with a strong emphasis on private sector participation and national priorities.

Chairing a joint meeting of all science ministries at the National Science Centre, Dr Singh outlined a vision to break departmental silos, avoid duplication, and ensure research leads to scalable, market-ready solutions for public good. “All science ministries must aim for outcomes that deliver public utility and attract market relevance,” he stressed.

ANRF is designed to act as both a coordinating and catalytic agency, enabling private investment and innovation in science. Its CEO, Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, detailed plans for catalytic funding, AI-driven scientific acceleration, and global models like NSF and DARPA to inspire its functioning.

Key initiatives include a Small Business Deep Tech Innovation programme to help startups and MSMEs scale new technologies, and a Cloud of Research and Innovation Infrastructure to unlock access to underutilised national research facilities. The AI-for-Science programme will use artificial intelligence to accelerate breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and biology.

Dr Singh cited successful examples such as CSIR’s indigenously developed HANSA-NG trainer aircraft which has received 110 orders and the department of Atomic Energy’s Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR) as models for ANRF to emulate and scale.

He emphasised tapping into private aerospace and energy sectors to fast-track such innovations, reduce import dependence, and boost India’s scientific self-reliance.