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- Published on September 3, 2025
- In AI Features
India Needs to Fund Basic Research and PhDs to Achieve Breakthrough Tech: Amit Sheth
India’s R&D spending—at 0.64% of GDP—is not only weak, but far behind advanced economies.
- By Mohit Pandey
India aims at becoming the world’s next AI superpower, but it is skipping the first step: basic research. The gap is not about ambition, but about how the nation funds its innovation, according to Amit Sheth, a professor at the University of South Carolina and one of the world’s most cited computer scientists.
Technology is measured by what are called Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). TRL 1–3 is basic research, TRL 4–7 is applied research, and TRL 7–9 is when products are ready for deployment.
“For every 10 or 15 papers, India has one,” he said. Sheth himself has one of the highest H-indexes in the field but admits he achieved that in the US ecosystem, not in India. Early research can take five or more years, but that is exactly where India invests the least.
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Mohit Pandey
Mohit writes about AI in simple, explainable, and often funny words. He's especially passionate about chatting with those building AI for Bharat, with the occasional detour into AGI.
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