New Delhi, Aug. 27 -- India's R&D ecosystem continues to face procedural and administrative hurdles despite growth in research papers, patents and startups, according to a NITI Aayog report.

The Ease of Doing Research & Development report identified repeated grant applications, funding delays, cumbersome procurement, staff vacancies and excessive administrative controls as key challenges.

It also flagged a significant trust deficit between funding agencies and researchers, which limits scientists' ability to focus on research, reported Times Of India.

Grant Delays Disrupt Research

India's R&D spending has remained around 0.6 per cent of GDP for over a decade, with public institutions accounting for about 64 per cent of total expenditu...