Guwahati

A National Workshop on Ease of Doing Research & Development (R&D) was organized at IIT Guwahati by NITI Aayog, focusing on the pivotal theme of making research processes more efficient, accessible, and innovation-driven thereby accelerating scientific growth of the States/UTs.

The Ease of doing R&D is a reform tool capable of transforming India's research ecosystem. The workshop emphasizes streamlining procedures and removing institutional bottlenecks that will enable the nation to accelerate its transition from research excellence to innovation leadership.

A key highlight of the discussion was the proposal of a National R&D Ease Index (NREDI) ' a structured, measurable framework designed to benchmark progress, identify challenges, and foster reforms through competitive federalism. Experts emphasized that a pilot implementation in select states'featuring one-window clearance systems, digital dashboards, and shared infrastructure models'could serve as a replicable national framework.

During the inaugural session, Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh (Sr. Adviser S&T, NITI Aayog, GoI), elaborated on the workshop theme, emphasizing the importance of coordinated governance and evidence-based reforms. Dr. Vinita S. Sahay (Director IIM, Bodhgaya) and Dr. Sanghamitra Bandopadhyay (Officiating Director, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata) delivered special addresses, sharing insights on enabling innovation through institutional synergy and policy streamlining.

Representing C-DAC on this platform, Shri. Jitesh Choudhary, Scientist E & Centre Head, C-DAC Centre in North East participated as a panel member. He highlighted critical areas of focus such as Research Proposal Evaluation based on objective benchmarks and product outcomes, Micro Grants for Frugal Innovation, and the concept of a Research Cloud for All, including citizen access - emphasising inclusivity and democratisation of research resources.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. V.K. Saraswat (Member S&T, NITI Aayog) highlighted that enhancing the ease of doing R&D is ultimately about reducing friction and empowering innovation, urging stakeholders to work collaboratively towards making India a global hub of research and innovation.