The Centre has earmarked over ₹13,340 crore across research fellowships, artificial intelligence (AI) Centres of Excellence, technical education reforms and a nationwide journal access initiative to strengthen India’s higher education ecosystem, Parliament was informed on Monday.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar shared various funding-backed measures for improving research output, infrastructure, industry collaboration and internationalisation factors linked to institutional quality and global competitiveness and thus helping in improving ranking of India institutions in global rankings.
Major Funding Allocations Announced
Government has shared detailed multiple schemes with defined financial outlays covering research, AI and technical education reforms.
Funding Snapshot
| Initiative | Allocation | Coverage / Duration |
| One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) | ₹6,000 crore | 2025–2027; 6,300+ institutions |
| Multidisciplinary Education & Research Improvement in Technical Education | ₹4,200 crore | 2025–26 to 2029–30; 275 institutions |
| Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) | ₹1,650 crore | Launched 2018–19; premier institutions |
| AI Centres of Excellence (3 sectors) | ₹990 crore | FY 2023–24 to 2027–28 |
| AI CoE in Education (IIT Madras) | ₹500 crore | Approved |
Total Explicit Allocation: ₹13,340 crore
₹6,000 Cr ONOS Scheme: Expanding Journal Access
As per the Lok Sabha reply, largest allocation ₹6,000 crore has been earmarked for the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme for calendar years 2025, 2026 and 2027.
The scheme aims to democratise access to global scholarly journals and research publications across disciplines. More than 6,300 higher education institutions and R&D centres are expected to benefit, addressing long-standing concerns over unequal access to academic databases between elite institutions and state universities.
₹4,200 Cr Technical Education Reform Scheme
The Centre has approved a ₹4,200 crore Central Sector Scheme titled Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education.
The scheme will cover:
- 175 engineering institutions
- 100 polytechnics
- Total: 275 institutions across States and UTs
It seeks to improve quality, equity and governance in technical education in alignment with NEP 2020 principles and will run from the financial year 2025–26 to 2029–30.
Research & Talent Push: PMRF and R&D Ecosystem
Under the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) scheme, launched in 2018–19 with a total outlay of ₹1,650 crore, the government aims to attract top-performing students into doctoral research in premier institutions.Additionally:
- Over 6,000 HEIs have established Research & Development Cells
- Research Parks have been set up in premier institutions to facilitate industry-funded research
- The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been established to provide strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship across disciplines
The minister stated that these measures are being taken for strengthening India’s research intensity and improving academia–industry collaboration.
AI-Focused Investments: ₹1,490 Cr Across Centres of Excellence
The government has approved:
- ₹990 crore for three AI Centres of Excellence in:
- Agriculture
- Sustainable Cities
- Health
- ₹500 crore for an AI Centre of Excellence in Education at IIT Madras
The funding period spans FY 2023–24 to FY 2027–28. These centres are intended to promote interdisciplinary research, scalable AI applications and innovation-led growth.
Internationalisation & Regulatory Reforms
To support global engagement, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified:
- Regulations enabling Twinning, Joint and Dual Degree programmes (2022)
- Regulations for Setting up and Operation of Foreign HEI Campuses in India (2023)
So far, 14 Letters of Intent (LoIs) have been issued to foreign universities from:
- Australia
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- United States
Proposed campuses are expected in Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Chennai.
Indian institutions have also expanded overseas, including:
- IIT Madras – Zanzibar
- IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi
- IIM Ahmedabad – Dubai
