ANRF Funding and Utilization Overview
The Ministry of Science & Technology provided a detailed parliamentary reply regarding fund allocation and utilization by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). From FY2023-24 to FY2026-27 (up to 21/07/2026), the total budget allocation across SERB and ANRF schemes amounted to ₹7,512 crore, with ₹2,846.92 crore utilized. In FY2023-24, SERB had a ₹1,004.5 crore allocation fully utilized. FY2024-25 saw a ₹721 crore SERB allocation fully utilized. FY2025-26 had a combined allocation of ₹2,044.25 crore (SERB: ₹538.25 crore, ANRF: ₹1,506 crore) with utilization of ₹1,018.83 crore (SERB: ₹415.43 crore, ANRF: ₹603.40 crore). For FY2026-27 (partial), the allocation is ₹2,543.25 crore (SERB: ₹543.25 crore, ANRF: ₹2,000 crore) with utilization of ₹102.59 crore (SERB: ₹26.01 crore, ANRF: ₹76.58 crore).
Private Sector Contributions
ANRF has successfully mobilized significant private sector contributions through national-level competitive programs. The Gates Foundation committed approximately ₹450 crore (USD 50 million) in its first phase and an additional USD 25 million in a second phase, with a Letter of Intent (LoI) signed for the first phase. The Wadhwani Foundation contributed ₹100 crore with a signed LoI. Assorted Industries committed ₹45 crore specifically for the Mission for Advancement in High-impact-Electric Vehicle Mission Program. Qualcomm Technologies Inc. committed ₹90 crore (USD 10 million), and NVIDIA Corporation provided in-kind contributions valued at approximately USD 22.5 million, both with signed LoIs. Google committed approximately ₹54 crore (USD 6 million) with a signed LoI.
Bihar-Specific Funding and Projects
For the state of Bihar, ANRF released a total of ₹23.53 crore to universities and research institutions over the last three years and the current year. The fund distribution by institute type was: Central University (Public) ₹2.07 crore, College (Public) ₹0.10 crore, Deemed University (Private) ₹0.76 crore, Institution under central government (IITs, NITs, IISER etc.) ₹16.86 crore, Institution under state government ₹0.16 crore, Private University ₹0.10 crore, and State University (Public) ₹3.48 crore.
A total of 117 research projects were approved in Bihar across various ANRF initiatives, though no institutional hub-and-spoke network was approved. The projects were distributed across programs: Advanced Research Grant (20), ARG-MATRICS (6), Core Research Grant (16), Empowerment and Equity Opportunities for Excellence in Science (6), Inclusivity Research Grant (12), MATRICS (5), National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) (9), Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (22), Prime Minister Professorship (1), Ramanujan Fellowship (1), SERB-POWER Grant (1), Start-up Research Grant (11), State University Research Excellence (SERB SURE) (6), and Teachers Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE) (1).
Detailed project information for 117 projects in Bihar was provided, including project titles, institute names, approval years, and funding amounts ranging from ₹660,000 to ₹27,500,000. Major participating institutions included the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna; Central University of South Bihar; National Institute of Technology, Patna; and Bihar Agricultural University.
State-Wise Fund Allocation
Annexure I provided detailed state-wise and year-wise budget allocations and fund assignments for 2024-2026. The top states by cumulative fund assignment were Maharashtra (₹164.10 crore), Karnataka (₹172.75 crore), Uttar Pradesh (₹199.02 crore), Tamil Nadu (₹98.23 crore), and Delhi (₹136.53 crore). Bihar received ₹16.62 crore over the three years.
This information was presented by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.