Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 20,000 crore to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to initiate a Rs 1 lakh crore research and development fund aimed at boosting private sector-driven innovation. This funding was first announced in the July budget and will focus on advancing research in deep tech and emerging sectors.
The DST's budget allocation has seen a significant rise, from Rs 8,029 crore to Rs 28,508.90 crore. The Department of Biotechnology has also received a substantial increase, with an allocation of Rs 3,446.64 crore, up from Rs 2,275.70 crore. Similarly, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has been allocated Rs 6,657.78 crore, a slight increase from Rs 6,323.41 crore in 2024-25.
The Department of Atomic Energy's allocation, however, has decreased slightly, from Rs 24,968.98 crore to Rs 24,049.10 crore.
Additionally, the Department of Space has received an allocation of Rs 13,416.2 crore, up from Rs 13,042.75 crore. A major portion of this budget, Rs 10,230.2 crore, is earmarked for various ISRO centres like the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, UR Rao Satellite Centre, the Human Spaceflight Centre, and for launch vehicle development. The space applications segment has also been allocated Rs 1,706.8 crore to support centres like the Space Applications Centre, the Development and Educational Communication Unit, and the National Remote Sensing Centre.