India has made a name for itself in the global IT industry, but when it comes to deep-tech innovation, the country is still lagging. That’s the concern raised by V. Ramgopal Rao, a noted academic and former director of IIT Delhi, in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter).
Rao questioned DeepSeek about why India, despite having a massive number of students pursuing computer science and engineering, has yet to achieve a breakthrough moment in AI and deep learning—something comparable to China’s DeepSeek. DeepSeek is a powerful AI model developed in China, competing with OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini.
The AI model generated tables highlighting India’s weaknesses in scientific and technological innovation. He shared the tables generated by DeepSeek. The AI's analysis aligned with long-standing discussions about India’s tech ecosystem.
DeepSeek’s analysis highlighted major differences between India and China in research and higher education. One of the biggest factors is funding. China spends 2.65% of its GDP on research and development (R&D), while India invests only 0.7%, and that includes defence and space research. The gap is even wider when looking at private sector investment, where Chinese industries contribute 2.06% of GDP to R&D, compared to just 0.23% in India.
The lack of investment also reflects in India’s scientific workforce. China has about 1,849 scientists per million people, while India has only 255. In global university rankings, China has seven universities in the top 100, including institutions like Tsinghua and Peking University. India, on the other hand, has none—its top institutions, like the IITs and IISc, usually rank outside the top 150.
China also has large-scale government programs to support deep-tech research, such as the “Made in China 2025” initiative and the “Thousand Talents Plan,” which bring in funding and attract top global researchers. India, in contrast, has relied on smaller initiatives like the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) but lacks a large, coordinated strategy for science and technology growth.
When it comes to AI, China is making a massive push, with a $150 billion investment planned by 2030 and strong collaboration between the government and private industry. India recently announced its own AI mission with a $1.26 billion budget, but experts believe this may not be enough to match the scale of investments being made by other countries.
What can be done now?
DeepSeek also generated a roadmap of reforms that could help India catch up. The plan suggests that by 2025, the government should introduce tax breaks for R&D spending, speed up research grant approvals, and start national programs to promote science and technology education in schools. It also recommends that industries launch pilot programs to improve collaboration with universities, while schools and colleges should focus more on creativity, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary learning.
By 2026, India should set up at least 10 new research hubs with state-of-the-art facilities, increase salaries for researchers, and expand funding for deep-tech startups. Industry investment in R&D also needs to be doubled to reach 0.4% of GDP.
Between 2027 and 2028, DeepSeek suggests that India must work on making its patent system stronger, create a culture of risk-taking in research, and increase its funding for AI and emerging technologies. At least three Indian universities should aim to enter the top 100 global rankings, and over 100 industry-academia partnerships should be established to turn research into real-world applications.
Looking further ahead, from 2029 to 2030, the plan recommends scaling India’s scientific workforce by five times its current size and developing strict ethical guidelines for AI development. By 2035, India should aim to be among the top 10 most innovative countries in the world, with private sector R&D spending reaching 2% of GDP—similar to developed nations. The country should also lead global research in AI, biotechnology, and renewable energy.