Our goal today is to develop new technologies for India, the world: PM at science conclave

ESTIC is the government’s Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave. It is a meeting point for researchers, industry leaders, start-up founders and young people. The conclave focuses on how science and technology can support the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’, or developed India.

Its purpose is practical. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the event should not remain only a forum for discussing ideas. Participants should use it to choose clear goals and produce technologies, prototypes, pilot projects or products that address important national and global needs.

The 2026 inauguration brought together government leaders, the principal scientific advisor and three Nobel laureates. The wider focus included health, agriculture, education, employment and disaster mitigation. ESTIC therefore connects scientific research with real-world applications, stronger start-ups and technologies capable of moving from laboratories into the market.

The Prime Minister asked researchers, companies, start-up founders and young people to set measurable goals for the next three years. He wanted each participant or team to identify a specific outcome rather than make only broad promises. The goal is to connect innovation directly with the development of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

The requested outcomes included developing a technology, building a prototype, running a pilot project or creating a product. These are different stages of turning an idea into something usable. A prototype can demonstrate that an idea works, while a pilot tests it in practice before wider adoption.

Modi said ESTIC should become a platform for these results, not just a place to exchange ideas. The results could target major problems in healthcare, agriculture, education, employment and disaster mitigation, while also helping India provide solutions to global challenges.

The Prime Minister identified several technologies as evidence of India’s growing scientific capabilities. In nuclear power, he highlighted India’s own fast breeder reactor technology, developed without depending on imported nuclear fuel. Its 500 MW prototype had reached first criticality, an important reactor milestone.

He also said India had organised its first AI Impact Summit during the year and launched its own model. In semiconductors, he stated that India-made chips were being shipped to the world. These examples cover nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and chip production, showing activity across major technology areas.

The broader significance was India’s changing relationship with global technology. Modi said India had once mainly adopted innovations developed elsewhere, sometimes making minor improvements. He presented the highlighted achievements as evidence that India is increasingly developing technologies, building capabilities and contributing as a global co-creator.

The article reports a total commitment of Rs 24,000 crore in one year for technologies ready to move from laboratories toward the market. This funding is intended to help research and innovation become usable products, services or industrial technologies rather than remain only in laboratories.

The government committed approximately R 12,000 crores through support for such technologies. The Prime Minister linked this effort to a pledge made the previous year to allocate one lakh crore for research and innovation through the Research Development and Innovation Fund. The article also mentions the Anusandhan National Research Foundation as part of India’s research-strengthening measures.

The private sector contributed an additional 12,000 crore rupees. Together, the public and private commitments reached Rs 24,000 crore. This shared funding model is meant to improve the path from scientific discovery to market use and strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem.

First criticality is an important landmark in a nuclear reactor’s development. The article explains it as the point where the reactor becomes self-sufficient. Reaching this stage shows that the reactor has achieved the required nuclear reaction conditions and is an important step in demonstrating its operating capability.

The Prime Minister connected the milestone to India’s fast breeder reactor technology. He said India developed this technology without depending on imported nuclear fuel. The 500 MW prototype reached first criticality, making the achievement an example of India building advanced nuclear capability through its own efforts.

The milestone matters because it supports the broader goal of self-sufficiency in nuclear power. It also illustrates the kind of measurable scientific result promoted at ESTIC: a specific prototype reaching a defined technical stage. The article presents it as evidence of progress toward developing technologies rather than merely adopting them.

The conclave’s technologies are meant to improve people’s lives, not simply demonstrate scientific sophistication. Modi said the real success of science depends on whether it solves big problems and makes life better. He identified health, agriculture, education, employment and disaster mitigation as priority areas.

In healthcare, innovation could strengthen the health sector. In agriculture, it could help transform farming. In education and employment, new technologies could create opportunities for learning and work. For disasters, science and technology could assist mitigation. The article does not specify individual products or projects for these sectors, but it clearly sets out the intended areas of impact.

These priorities also guide India’s start-up revolution. Linking research funding and start-ups to public needs could help move useful technologies from laboratories to the market. The Prime Minister’s three-year targets are intended to turn this broad agenda into identifiable technologies, prototypes, pilots and products.

A country’s ability to create its own scientific technologies matters because it builds the capacity to shape its future. Modi described an earlier period when India mainly waited for global innovations, adopted them and sometimes made minor improvements. He urged a shift toward developing technologies and providing solutions to global challenges.

The article gives nuclear power as a concrete example. India developed its own fast breeder reactor technology without depending on imported nuclear fuel, and its 500 MW prototype reached first criticality. It also mentions an Indian AI model and India-made chips being shipped to the world. These examples show capability across several strategic areas.

Such capability supports economic development by connecting research with products, markets and start-ups. The government and private sector committed Rs 24,000 crore toward technologies ready for the market. Strong research, discovery and innovation can therefore support a developed India while helping address wider global problems.