ISROThe Chandrayaan-3 probe heading to the MoonISRO
India is planning to create a national funding agency to stimulate research at the country’s universities, institutes, and laboratories. In June, the Union Cabinet, the country’s top decision-making body led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a bill establishing the National Research Foundation (NRF). In the coming weeks, the government is expected to examine the five-year budget of approximately US$6 billion, about 70% of which will come from the private sector and the rest from public investment. If the NRF is approved, Modi will act as president, with the country’s science and education ministers acting as vice presidents. Scientists from various fields will form the agency’s Board of Directors. Despite spending less than 0.7% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on research and development (around US$222 million in 2021), India is investing in ambitious projects. In July, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan-3, its third lunar exploration mission, which is expected to land near the Moon’s south pole on August 23 (Nature, July 19).
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