DST-FICCI workshop stresses need for stronger industry participation in National S&T Survey 2024-25

chennai: the department of science and technology (dst), government of india, in collaboration with the federation of indian chambers of commerce and industry (ficci), organised a workshop in chennai to highlight the significance of the national survey on resources dedicated to scientific and technological activities for 2024-25. the deliberations focused on improving industry response, enhancing data accuracy, and strengthening india's overall science, technology and innovation framework.senior officials, industry leaders, and academic experts participated in the event, including dr. arvind kumar, advisor & head, nstmis, dst; dr. parveen arora, former head, nstmis; bhupesh nagarajan, co-chairman, ficci tamil nadu state council; dr. s. parivallal, chief scientist & advisor, csir-serc; and representatives from leading startups and institutions.inhis remarks, bhupesh nagarajan emphasised the need for closer collaboration between academia, research institutions, and industry to drive innovation in emerging sectors such as ai, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing. he urged industries to participate actively in the national s&t survey, noting that the findings play a key role in shaping india's long-term research and innovation strategies.dst's dr. arvind kumar underlined the importance of reliable data from industries to improve the effectiveness of national r&d assessment. he noted that despite steady growth in india's gross expenditure on r&d, private-sector reporting remains inadequate. while corporate r&d spending accounts for nearly 70-75% in advanced economies, india's share stands at only 36.5%, contributing to a national gerd of roughly 0.64% of gdp. he highlighted government initiatives such as the ₹1 lakh crore research, development & innovation (rdi) fund, aimed at reducing investment risks for companies and accelerating innovation in strategic sectors including energy transition, robotics, quantum technologies, biomanufacturing and medical devices.former nstmis head dr. parveen arora stressed that accurate, timely, and comprehensive data collection is essential for evidence-based policy planning. she noted that the survey's findings feed into global frameworks including the global innovation index and the sdg global indicator framework.the national s&t survey 2024-25 aims to collect data from nearly 8,000 r&d-performing organisations across public and private sectors, mncs, higher education institutions, siros and ngos. the structured questionnaire covers general information, r&d expenditure and s&t manpower, and follows international standards for s&t data classification.the workshop concluded with broad agreement that strengthening private-sector engagement and improving data reliability are vital for shaping informed national policies, accelerating innovation, and advancing india's development goals, including viksit bharat 2047.