Quantum, AI Sovereignty and Indigenous Innovation Will Drive India’s Next Growth Phase: Dr Jitendra Singh

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh  said that quantum technologies, Artificial Intelligence sovereignty and indigenous innovation ecosystems will define India’s next-generation economic growth and technological leadership.

Addressing a programme organised by the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Dr Jitendra Singh said India’s future growth in deep-tech sectors would depend on the country’s ability to adopt a trusted and integrated innovation ecosystem driven by research, startups, industry and government collaboration.

He said the newly launched “Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund” scheme has been designed to accelerate private-sector participation in research and development while strengthening India’s deep-tech and strategic technology ecosystem.

During the programme, TDB signed agreements for five high-impact projects under the RDI initiative, released the first electronic fund disbursement under the scheme and launched a compendium detailing the status and progress of the RDI programme. A report titled “Quantum-Safe Ecosystem in India” was also formally released during the event.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India is entering a new phase of innovation-led development powered by coordinated efforts in quantum technologies, deep-tech financing, AI, space technologies and industry-led research ecosystems. He noted that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted several unconventional approaches to create enabling conditions for innovation and private investment in advanced technologies.

According to the minister, unlike traditional innovation models where governments expect industries to independently invest in research, India has created institutional and financial support systems to actively encourage industry participation in research and commercialization.

The minister said the RDI initiative reflects the government’s broader vision of making startups, MSMEs and domestic industries long-term partners in innovation and technology development.

Among the projects approved under the scheme, e-TRNL Energy Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement for developing advanced lithium-ion battery cells using its patented 3-Dimensional Electrode Architecture technology. The project aims to improve battery design, manufacturing efficiency and cost-effective energy storage solutions while strengthening India’s domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem.

Dhruva Space Private Limited signed an agreement for “Project Garud”, an indigenous modular satellite platform capable of supporting constellation-scale deployment. The project seeks to establish India’s capabilities in scalable and mass-producible communication satellite systems for strategic, scientific and commercial applications.

Another agreement was signed with Eyestem Research Private Limited for the development of advanced cell therapies targeting two globally incurable diseases — Geographic Atrophy associated with Age-related Macular Degeneration and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. The initiative is expected to significantly strengthen India’s regenerative medicine and indigenous biotechnology capabilities.

Noccarc Robotics Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement for developing the Intelligent Mobile Life Support System (iMLSS), a portable ICU-grade emergency care platform designed specifically for Indian healthcare conditions. The system integrates ventilator support, patient monitoring, AI-assisted clinical guidance and multilingual healthcare interfaces aimed at strengthening emergency and rural healthcare delivery.

Meanwhile, Endure Air Systems Private Limited signed an agreement for “Project Sabal-200”, an indigenous unmanned helicopter platform capable of carrying payloads exceeding 200 kilograms. The platform is intended for logistics, disaster response, surveillance and strategic operations in high-altitude and rugged terrains.

In a major milestone under the RDI framework, TDB also carried out the first electronic fund transfer under the scheme. As part of the initial tranche, ₹50 crore was electronically transferred to Eyestem Research to support development and commercialization of its indigenous cell therapy platform.

A detailed compendium released during the programme highlighted the progress achieved under the RDI Fund scheme till April 2026. The report outlined project proposals received, sector-wise distribution, funding trends, appraisal mechanisms and approved projects across strategic sectors.

The publication also showcased India’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem in areas such as biotechnology, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, healthcare, climate technologies, digital infrastructure, energy transition and advanced manufacturing.

Highlighting the growing importance of quantum technologies, Dr Jitendra Singh said India is now among a select group of countries investing heavily in quantum communication, quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum materials under the National Quantum Mission.

He noted that India had initially targeted development of 2,000-kilometre quantum-secure communication capability over eight years, but the country has already achieved nearly half that target in less than four years.

The minister warned that emerging quantum computing technologies could pose serious challenges to existing encryption systems used in banking, governance, telecom and strategic infrastructure. He stressed that post-quantum cryptography, quantum key distribution and quantum-safe digital infrastructure would become critical for long-term national security and trusted digital governance.

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India Ajay Kumar Sood described the RDI Fund as a transformative initiative capable of catalysing large-scale private investment in deep-tech research and innovation.

Referring to the newly released “Quantum-Safe Ecosystem in India” report, he cautioned about the potential “Q-Day” scenario when current encryption systems may become vulnerable to future quantum computing capabilities. He stressed the need for India to proactively strengthen post-quantum cryptography and secure communication infrastructure across sectors such as finance, healthcare and governance.

Secretary, Department of Science and Technology and TDB Chairperson Abhay Karandikar said the RDI initiative represents one of the most significant government interventions aimed at strengthening private-sector-led research and development in India.

He said the programme was operationalised through extensive collaboration among scientific institutions, experts, investment committees and industry stakeholders over several months.

TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said the initiative received 124 project proposals involving investment demand exceeding ₹25,000 crore within a short period. He added that 22 companies selected under the RDI Fund include some of India’s most promising startups and innovators across health, energy, advanced manufacturing and quantum technology sectors.

According to him, 15 of the selected companies have also been chosen through a nationwide search under “Bharat Innovates 2026”, a global technology showcase scheduled to be held in Nice in June this year.

The event concluded with discussions on strengthening India’s indigenous quantum-safe ecosystem, secure communication infrastructure and collaborative innovation frameworks aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047.