India, Dec. 9 -- Strengthening India's own research, data, and policy capacity is key to shaping a development model rooted in national priorities

- Ravi Pokharna and Kuntala Karkun

India's Viksit Bharat aspiration by 2047 transcends traditional capital investment. While tangible infrastructure remains critical, the primary constraint to sustained, high-quality growth is the knowledge ecosystem deficit. To successfully transition from a middle-income economy to a fully developed nation, India must aggressively cultivate a robust, home-grown intellectual infrastructure, one encompassing R&D, credible think tanks, advanced data infrastructure, and scalable domestic innovation capacity.

India's R&D Gap: The Core Structural Weakness

India...