NITI Aayog releases landmark report “Pathways to Progress: Analysis and Insights into India’s Innovation Story”

At the launch, Dr. Deepak Bagla, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, elaborated on the transformative role of AIM in nurturing entrepreneurial talent, fostering innovation at scale, and creating a vibrant startup culture across the country.

Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, emphasized the strategic importance of science, technology, and innovation in shaping India’s development trajectory. He noted that the report provides critical evidence-based insights that can guide policymaking, strengthen institutional linkages, and enhance collaboration between academia, industry, and government.

Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science & Technology, emphasized that innovation in India is pervasive and not confined to frontier technologies alone. He highlighted the government’s initiatives to advance research, promote technology development, and facilitate the commercialization of innovations across all sectors. He underscored the importance of inclusive and context-driven innovation that addresses real-world challenges while strengthening India’s overall capacity to compete globally and drive sustainable, equitable growth.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Chief Guest for the event, delivered the keynote address. He underscored India’s progress in building a robust innovation ecosystem and stressed the importance of positioning Bharat as a global brand of excellence in knowledge, science, and technology. He called for harnessing India’s youth, talent, and institutional strengths to drive innovation that is both scalable and inclusive.

The event was also graced by the Secretaries of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), and Department of School Education & Literacy (DSEL), Program Directors, NITI Aayog, reflecting the Government’s strong commitment to advancing India’s innovation ecosystem.

The report provides a holistic view of India’s innovation ecosystem, encompassing national and state initiatives, industry and grassroots innovations, startups, university-industry-government collaborations, and India’s positioning in global innovation rankings. The report also identifies systemic challenges and lays out a forward-looking roadmap that includes scaling successful models, fostering deep technology innovation, strengthening knowledge creation, enhancing global integration, and building innovation capacity across states. With the release of this report, NITI Aayog reinforces its commitment to nurturing a knowledge-driven, innovation-led economy and advancing India’s ambition of emerging as a global hub for science, technology, and entrepreneurship.