Consider the following statements about innovation and research and development in India : 1. India's rank in Global Innovation Index reported by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has improved significantly between 2015 and 2024. 2. Funding of research and development is sourced primarily from private sector entities and is sectorally concentrated in pharmaceuticals and information technology. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct as India's rank in the Global Innovation Index (GII) by WIPO has improved significantly, rising from 81st in 2015 to 39th in 2024 [2]. This reflects a robust innovation ecosystem supported by strategic policies and R&D investment [2]. Statement 2 is incorrect because R&D funding in India is primarily driven by the government sector, which contributed 43.7% of the Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) in 2020-21, while the private sector industry contributed 36.4% [1]. Although the private sector's R&D is indeed sectorally concentrated in Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (33.6%) and Information Technology (9.9%), the primary source of overall R&D funding remains the public sector rather than private entities [1]. Therefore, only the first statement regarding the GII ranking improvement is accurate.

Sources

1. [2] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=153223&ModuleId=3
2. [1] https://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/Updated%20RD%20Statistics%20at%20a%20Glance%202022-23.pdf