The Technology Development Board (TDB) has clarified that the closure of its ongoing call for proposals under the Research Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme was due to administrative reasons and not a shortage of funds.
TDB said the call, which had been open since February 4, 2026, was closed as part of an administrative decision amid an unprecedented response from eligible technology entities (ETEs). The clarification follows media reports that attributed the closure to a shortage of funds.
According to TDB, there is no shortage of funds for disbursement to ETEs. The board had estimated a requirement of ₹500 crore for disbursements over a six-month period and was allocated ₹490 crore by the Research Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF).
As of September 30, 2026, TDB had disbursed ₹375.69 crore to 10 ETEs from the first cohort of 22 ETEs. The board still had ₹114.31 crore available for disbursement.
Under the RDI Scheme, TDB provides matching funds against funds raised by ETEs from non-government sources. The actual disbursement depends on the time taken by the respective ETEs to raise the required matching funds and submit a demand notice to TDB.
TDB said it received nearly 330 project proposals between February 4 and September 30, 2026. So far, the board has evaluated 99 projects received during February and March. Of these, 35 projects were selected for funding, comprising 22 projects in the first cohort and 13 in the second cohort.
Projects received during April and May 2026 are currently under evaluation. TDB said its Investment Committee and officials are conducting group-stage meetings for the initial screening and shortlisting of proposals, followed by detailed evaluation by the full Investment Committee.
The board noted that its techno-commercial evaluation process requires considerable time. During the first seven months from March to September 2026, around 150 projects, including those currently under evaluation, could be processed.
In view of the large number of proposals and the ongoing evaluation process, TDB has decided to temporarily pause the call for proposals. The call is expected to reopen after the assessment of all projects received up to September 30, 2026, is completed.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) are also in the process of assigning several other Sectoral-Level Fund Managers (SLFMs) in the near future.
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