The Rs 20,000-crore allocation to drive research, the expansion of AI and geospatial initiatives and further push to Atal Tinkering Labs are some of the significant steps taken in the Union Budget 2025-26 to strengthen the country's research & development (R&D) ecosystem, but the country needs more, industry players said. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 20,000 crore to the Department of Science and Technology to promote private sector-driven innovation. Sitharaman further said 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in the next five years to cultivate scientific temper in young minds. The 2025 Union Budget marks a significant step forward in strengthening India's R&D ecosystem, Shirshendu Mukherjee, Managing Director, Wadhwani Innovation Network, said. "The Rs 20,000 crore allocation for private & public sector-driven research, the expansion of AI and geospatial initiatives, and the push for Atal Tinkering Labs demonstrate the government's .