According to the latest official statistics, the present level of spending as percentage of GDP towards Research and Development (R & D) in the country is around 0.9% whereas China spends around 1.7%. The national R&D expenditure as percentage of GDP has increased over a decade from 0.67% to 0.87%.
According to the Prime Minister’s Address at 99th Indian Science Congress in January 2012, the Government aims at increasing the total R&D spending as percentage of GDP to 2% by the end of XII plan period from the current level of about 0.9 percent. The Government proposes to achieve the targeted goal during the XII Plan period through various measures such as policy changes, increase in investment in R & D including by Industry and Strategic sectors, expansion of basic science infrastructure, aligning S&T to development needs like food and health care, evolving new models of public-private partnership in scientific research, encouraging international collaboration etc.
Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri S.Jaipal Reddy gave this information in reply to a written question in the Rajya Sabha today.