Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in inaugurating the 99th Indian Science Congress Monday that India's position in the world of science has been declining.

"Over the past few decades, India's position in the world of science had been declining and we have been overtaken by countries like China. Things are changing, but we cannot be satisfied with what has been achieved. We need to do much more to change the face of Indian science," he said.

Singh told the congress composed of more than 15,000 scientists, including a few Nobel laureates, that increased expenditure on research and development is needed to achieve the government target of spending 2 percent of the nation's GDP in research by the end of the 12th plan.

"This can only be achieved if industry, which contributes about one third of the total R&D expenditure today, increases its contribution. I believe public sector undertakings especially in the engineering sector should play a major role in this expansion," he said at the start of the five-day event at the KIIT University.

Singh outlined an ambitious plan to boost the Indian scientific sector which includes doubling investments, greater alignment with national development and greater collaboration within India and internationally. He also expressed concern about women scientists remaining unemployed because of a lack of job opportunities. He said the department of science and technology was devising a scheme called DISHA that would help women scientists relocate to other cities.

The prime minister also said that the government was investigating ways to provide food, energy and water security to the Indian people.

"We are examining a proposal to build national capacity and capability in supercomputing which will be implemented by the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore at an estimated cost of Rs. 5,000 crore. The government is also considering a proposal to establish a neutrino observatory in Theni district in Tamil Nadu with a proposed investment of Rs. 1,350 crore," he said.

The inauguration ceremony was also attended by Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister of State for Science and Technology Ashwani Kumar and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.