By Suprita Anupam Edited by Neha Mehrotra Introduction: The Paradox of State-Backed Patient Capital In November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced an ambitious economic intervention: a massive Rs 1 lakh crore ($12 billion) Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) fund. Designed to bridge a critical chasm in India’s burgeoning startup economy, the fund was meant […]
Bureaucratic Gridlock: How India’s Landmark RDI Fund Inadvertently Slowed Down Startup Capital
By Suprita Anupam Edited by Neha Mehrotra Main Facts India’s ambitious ₹1 lakh crore (~$12 billion) Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) fund, envisioned as a vital engine to supercharge deep-tech entrepreneurship, has run into massive execution roadblocks. Rather than accelerating capital deployment into high-risk, long-gestation sectors—such as DNA-based data storage, drone-defense systems, and advanced space […]