PM Launches ₹1 Lakh Crore RDI Scheme, 25,000 New Atal Labs

In a major boost to India’s innovation ecosystem, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 November 2025 launched the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme during the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This transformative initiative focuses on supporting high-risk, high-impact research projects, strengthening India’s innovation capacity, and accelerating the nation’s transition into a global science and technology leader.

₹1 Lakh Crore for R & D

The RDI scheme aims to address one of India’s core challenges in the innovation pipeline—adequate funding for cutting-edge R&D. With a ₹1 lakh crore capital infusion, the scheme is designed to,

• Support breakthrough technologies through long-term funding
• Attract private sector participation in research and development
• Facilitate the transition of prototypes to commercial products
• Improve ease of doing research by reforming procurement and financial norms

Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the government has rolled out new incentives, regulatory reforms, and supply-chain support to accelerate the journey from “lab to market.”

25,000 New Atal Tinkering Labs

• Highlighting India’s efforts to foster grassroots innovation, Modi announced a massive expansion of the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)—school-based innovation spaces run under the Atal Innovation Mission.
• From the existing 10,000 labs, which have already impacted over 1 crore school students, the government now plans to establish 25,000 more ATLs across the country.
• These labs provide students with hands-on experience in robotics, AI, and design thinking, cultivating problem-solving skills and scientific temper from an early age.

10,000 PM Research Fellowships

To further reinforce India’s research backbone, the Prime Minister also announced an additional 10,000 PM Research Fellowships (PMRFs) over the next five years.

These fellowships will support young researchers and PhD scholars, offering them financial and institutional support to pursue advanced scientific work, particularly in strategic and emerging sectors like,

• Artificial Intelligence
• Green hydrogen
• Quantum computing
• Deep sea exploration
• Semiconductor development

The fellowships are a part of the larger vision to develop a robust knowledge economy anchored in cutting-edge innovation.

India AI Mission and Ethical Innovation

• Speaking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Prime Minister noted that it now impacts various sectors, from logistics and education to governance.
• Under the India AI Mission, the government has committed over ₹10,000 crore to promote AI development aligned with ethics and inclusivity.
• Modi stressed that innovation should be responsible and human-centric, ensuring that technological advancement benefits all sections of society.

Key Points to Remember

• Event: ESTIC 2025, held on 3 Nov 2025, New Delhi
• RDI Scheme allocation: ₹1 lakh crore
• New Atal Tinkering Labs: 25,000 planned
• PM Research Fellowships: 10,000 to be awarded over 5 years
• Focus areas: AI, quantum, clean energy, semiconductors
• Institutional support: Anusandhan National Research Foundation