Speaking on India’s innovation ecosystem, Shashi Tharoor highlighted a stark contrast in research funding patterns. He noted that in developed countries, 75–80% of research and development (R&D) expenditure is financed by the private sector, whereas in India, nearly 75% of R&D spending comes from the government. Calling the imbalance “crazy,” Tharoor stressed the need for greater private-sector participation in innovation and research.
