Covid prompts further focus on health R&D spending by states: RBI report

R&D spending by states contained

The share of medical, health, family welfare and sanitation in total research and development spending by states has received a further boost since 2021-22, RBI’s new study noted on December 19.

RBI’s report “State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2024-25” highlighted that agricultural research was being replaced by growing R&D spends on education and health and sanitation.

“Over time, the proportions of health and education related R&D spending have increased, while that of agricultural research has declined,” the study pointed out.

The study analysed the spending for 10 states and union territories.

Despite the shift in spending trends, data shows that states tend to spend only a small proportion of their GDP in R&D.

R&D spending from states accounted for just 0.1 percent of the GDP, with nearly half going to health up from 40 percent earlier.

Agri research declined from 30 percent to below 20 percent, while education rose from less than 10 percent to around 15 percent.

Infrastructure, environment and industrial research were all less than 10 percent.