New Delhi: The monthly Joint Meeting of all Science Secretaries was chaired at Technology Bhawan, New Delhi, where key issues related to the implementation and disbursal of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund were reviewed.

During the meeting, important observations and inferences regarding the RDI Fund were discussed. It was noted that the Fund’s Conflict of Interest policy has been backed by stringent safeguards aimed at protecting taxpayers’ money as well as private capital. At the same time, suggestions from stakeholders were welcomed, with an assurance that additional safeguards could be considered wherever feasible.

The meeting was informed that the next round of RDI Fund disbursal is planned shortly. Directions were issued to further expedite the disbursal process and reduce timelines to the minimum possible.

It was also informed that more than 20 additional ‘Second Level Fund Managers’ are expected to be appointed soon, possibly within the next two weeks, to further strengthen and streamline the Fund’s implementation mechanism.

The meeting emphasised that stringent protocols must continue to be followed throughout the disbursal process to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability, while enabling timely support for research, development and innovation initiatives.

The discussions underlined the importance of maintaining robust safeguards while accelerating the flow of funds to eligible innovation and technology-driven projects.