Part of CSR funding should be used for research: Kris Gopalakrishnan

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26 Aug, 2025 12:21

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Government funding for research is improving and more industries are partnering with research institutes to develop solutions. But is it enough? What more can be done?

Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder, Infosys, in an interaction with Moneycontrol on the sidelines of announcement of Infosys Science Foundation awards 2019, gave his views on the subject.

Edited excerpts:

How do you view the current funding landscape for research activities?

Currently, the funding for research in only 0.7 percent of the GDP, of which 0.6 percent is from the government and the rest from private sector and philanthropy. This should increase. Funding towards research and development should be at least 3 percent of GDP, of which 1.5 percent from the government and the rest from the private sector.

Government had recently allocated Rs 20,000 crore and now, the private sector should step up.

I suggested that the CSR money should be used for research. Of the 2 percent CSR spend, 50 percent of it can be used for research.

It is encouraging to see investments go up. But when it comes to research, are not we far behind?

Till now, research was not a focus area for the government as its priorities were addressing basic needs such as education, healthcare, drinking water and affordable housing.

But now we are in a position to start allocating more money towards research and the government is already doing it.

If you look at the focus of our academic institutions, they were towards education. Only very few were focused on research. As more investments come in, more organisations will start looking at research.

Another problem is also that research as a career is also not very attractive.

How can we make research an attractive career option?

Firstly, more startups need to come out of research institutions. This is increasing. For instance, deep tech startups, which come out research institutions, now account for about 18 percent of total startups.

Secondly, we need to have more industry involvement in research. When they do research in institutions, these institutions get ideas and then, recruitment happens through that collaboration.