Scientific research in India has not been in the same magnitude as it has been in the developed and advanced countries. But, in the prevailing competitive conditions, Research and Development (R&D) is essential not only for the growth of a business but sometimes even for its survival. Therefore, continuous R&D activities are being carried on in a large number of business enterprises, which are spending large sums on it. Various policy measures have been introduced from time to time to meet the changing industrial and technological requirements of the industry. The Government has been giving special attention to promotion and support to industrial research in industry. Several tax incentives have also been provided, which encourage and make it financially attractive for industrial units to establish their inhouse R&D units. The main purpose of the study is to examine the trends and growth of R&D activities in India. The secondary objective is to study the growth of R&D expenditure on the basis of sectorwise distribution, regionwise distribution, etc. Simple percentages and trend percentages are used for the analysis of the data. The total R&D expenditure showed an increasing trend throughout the period of study and the same trend is shown in the case of private sector R&D expenditure. Though there is a decline in the share of Public sector in R&D units over a period of time, its share in total R&D expenditure is higher than its share in the number of R&D units. Chemical and allied industries ranked first in the number of R&D units, and Agro and Processing units ranked last. the Government should try to reduce the regional imbalance in the distribution of inhouse R&D units and R&D expenditure in the country. Industries should be aware of the fact that it is only through research and development, that Indian companies can compete with their foreign counterparts.
Scientific
research in India has not been in the same magnitude as it has been in the developed
and advanced countries. But, in the prevailing competitive conditions, Research
and Development (R&D) is essential not only for the growth of a business but
sometimes even for its survival. Therefore, continuous Research and Development
is being carried on in large number of business enterprises, which are spending
large sums on it. The
importance of R&D in India was increasingly felt provided with the adoption
of the Scientific Policy Resolution during 1958. The policy aimed at promoting
pure, applied and industrial scientific research. The Technology Policy Statement
of Government of India announced in January 1983 relates to the Inhouse Research
and Development units and states, "Inhouse R&D units in Industry provide
a desirable and essential interface between efforts within the national laboratories
and the educational sector as well as production in industry. Appropriate incentives
will be given to the setting up of R&D units in industry and for industry
including those on a cooperative basis. Enterprises will be encouraged to set
up R&D units of appropriate size to permit the accomplishment of major technological
tasks." |
