Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the interim budget 2024-25, had proposed setting up a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore with a 50-year interest-free loan for the sunrise sectors.
On 3 November 2025, the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme was launched with a total outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore over six years for accelerating R&D in deep tech and sunrise sectors.
Recently, on 3 February 2026, State Bank of India (SBI) launched 'CHAKRA', a dedicated Centre of Excellence (CoE) to strengthen financing for eight critical sunrise sectors.
In this article, we will learn about sunrise sectors and the key ones in India.
What are sunrise sectors?
Sunrise sectors are high-growth industries in their early stages with massive expansion potential. A sunrise industry is a nascent industry characterised by high innovation, numerous startups, and significant venture capital funding.
Sunrise sectors attract heavy venture capital, foreign direct investment (FDI), and angel investment. An emerging industry, a sunrise sector is driven by cutting-edge advancement, research and development, and creating new intellectual property.
Sunrise sectors are supported by government policies or PLI schemes, subsidies, allowances, or incentives. A sunrise sector industry shows an exponential growth rate compared to traditional industries. These industries with 100 per cent FDI Automatic Route faciliate easy foreign investment in these emerging sectors.
The focus of sunrise sectors is at achieving Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) and reducing import dependency. Under the 'Make in India' scheme, 14 key sunrise sectors are driving high-growth manufacturing.
How many sunrise sectors are there in India?
The key 14 sunrise sectors in India are:
- Renewable/Clean Energy
- Green Hydrogen and Ammonia
- Decarbonisation
- Smart Infrastructure
- Data Centres
- E-mobility & Charging Infra
- Advanced Cell Chemistry/Battery
- Semiconductors and Electronics
- Telecommunications and Networking Products
- Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Auto Components
- Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
- Medical Devices
- Defence, Aerospace & Drones
- Speciality Steel & Technical Textiles
Key sunrise sectors significance
Sunrise sectors in India are crucial for 'Viksit Bharat 2047'. . Key sectors include Renewable Energy, Green Hydrogen, Semiconductors, Electric Vehicles (EV), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Space Technology, and Fintech, designed to achieve India's $30 trillion GDP goal by 2047.
India aims for 500 GW non-fossil energy by 2030, with major investments in Green Hydrogen/Ammonia. Semiconductor Mission aims to make India a global hub, reducing import dependence.
Key sectors including green hydrogen and ammonia, semiconductors, AI, space tech, and food processing sectors are vital for doubling India's manufacturing share to 23 per cent of GDP, reducing import dependence, and creating high-value jobs.
Also read: Which are the top 3 rice-producing states in India?
