Science and Technology in India

Introduction

The Indian science and technology space has been instrumental to bring social and economic changes. The country has not only endeavoured to upgrade traditional skills to make them relevant and competitive, but has also been on a spur to develop advanced technologies, which has eventually played a pivotal role in transforming the nation into a modern, industrialised society. Scientific knowledge and expertise, innovation, high technology, industrial infrastructure and skilled workforce are the key factors that have driven the progress of the country to a major extent.

India is also one of the top-ranking countries in the field of basic research. Certain developments that took place on this front in the recent past have been discussed hereafter.

The Indian space technology has come a long way in terms of infrastructure as well as investments. India is the fifth largest consumer of energy globally and expected to become the world's third biggest energy consumer by 2030, leaving Japan and Russia behind. India has been ranked as the third best investment destination in renewable energy sector, next only to China and the US, as per a recent report by Ernst & Young (E&Y). Research and development (R&D) is an inseparable part of science and technology, with India fast emerging as the global R&D hub. Presence of world class institutions, a robust intellectual property (IP) regime and a rich talent pool of technical manpower available at a very competitive cost are major factors that are making India a viable destination for global researchers.

Market Size

India is one of the top-ranking countries in the field of basic research. Indian Science has come to be regarded as one of the most powerful instruments of growth and development, especially in the emerging scenario and competitive economy. In the wake of the recent developments and the new demands that are being placed on the science and technology system, it is necessary for us to embark on some major science projects which have relevance to national needs and which will also be relevant for tomorrow's technology.

In global terms, India is ninth in the number of scientific publications and 12th with regard to the patents filed. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of publications in the country is around 12±1 per cent. By 2020, the global share of publications is projected to be twice its current size and the number of papers in the top 1 per cent journals four-fold from what it is currently.

According to the Global Science Report of the UNESCO, India’s present ranking is commensurate with its number of full-time equivalent (FTE) of research and development (R&D) personnel. It is vital that FTE of R&D personnel increase by at least 66 per cent of its current strength in the next five years.

Investments

"We need a new wave of investment from the private sector so that young people will be encouraged to seek a career in science," according to Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India.

Some of the major investments in Indian science and technology sector are as follows:

• The Zilla Parishad Gachibowli High School in Khajaguda, Andhra Pradesh, will get access to a full-fledged science laboratory set up jointly by two big corporates—Bombardier Transportation and Infotech Enterprises.
• Tata Motors Ltd plans to invest about £30 million (US$ 49.14 million) in the National Automotive Innovation Campus (NAIC) for R&D. The investment would be made through its subsidiary Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) at the University of Warwick campus, UK.
• Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will enhance its research and product development on future vehicle infotainment technologies through a new collaboration with Intel and the opening of a new technology R&D centre in Portland, Oregon.
• The University of Michigan has entered into tie-ups with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NCAER and the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center (SRC) is aimed at promoting collaborative survey research.
• Hero MotoCorp has entered into a joint venture (JV) with Italy-based Magnetti Marelli for developing powertrains and next-generation electronic fuel-injection systems. The companies will invest US$ 8.5 million over the next 3 years and a total of US$ 27 million over 10 years in the JV, HMC-MM Auto Ltd.
• The Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine has developed a nano-medicine that, it claims, will dramatically improve the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeleogenous leukemia (CML, a form of blood cancer), when used in combination with imatinib, the standard drug for CML.

 

Source

India Brand Equity Foundation, December 26, 2013