Innovation and India do not seem to go together. Although we have one of the largest scienctific manpower in the world, India continues to lag even tiny nations like South Korea when it comes to innovation.
According to the Global Innovation Index 2012, India ranks 64th.
Why does India trail such small nations when it comes to innovation?
Firstly India education system does not encourage the students to think. Most of the examinations are based on the rote system. So students are rewarded for not thinking but just memorising facts.
Secondly some of our best brains are working for commercial extablishments and hardly anyone takes up research. Even PhDs in India have now started joining Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) firms. I was looking on the internet the other day and I found this article on how the KPO Industry is hiring PhDs for serving outsourcing customers. For more on the article please read this.
Thirdly our Innovation is mostly need based. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has filed more patents than any other Industry in India. This is beacuse of the strict Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements in the US. As compared to that the famed software industry has hardly filed any patents. IBM in India has filed more patents than the entire Indian softwaree industry put together.
Finally we have mastered the art of services which has led to many process innovations. But when it comes to product we are miles behind the other nations.
So is there a silver lining to this dark cloud?
I think there is. For one India is a leader in the Global Innovation Efficiency Index. India ranks 2nd on that scale just after China. That means we have been making the best of the limited investments we have made in the innovation space.
The most important nidice for growth of Indian innovation is the Indian education system. Indian schools and academic institutions need to invest more in research led innovation. The spirit of enquiry needs to be encouraged and not stifiled. Already some of our best brains leave the country due to this general apathy towards research.
I think India has failed to achieve its due status in the global scenario on innovation and it is time it gets its act together.
According to the Global Innovation Index 2012, India ranks 64th.
(Source: Wipo.int)
Switzerland leads the global innovation index. The other countires in the top five include Sweden, Singapore, Finland and the UK. Compared to 2007 when Japan was on top of the Innovaiton index ranks.Why does India trail such small nations when it comes to innovation?
Firstly India education system does not encourage the students to think. Most of the examinations are based on the rote system. So students are rewarded for not thinking but just memorising facts.
Secondly some of our best brains are working for commercial extablishments and hardly anyone takes up research. Even PhDs in India have now started joining Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) firms. I was looking on the internet the other day and I found this article on how the KPO Industry is hiring PhDs for serving outsourcing customers. For more on the article please read this.
Thirdly our Innovation is mostly need based. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has filed more patents than any other Industry in India. This is beacuse of the strict Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements in the US. As compared to that the famed software industry has hardly filed any patents. IBM in India has filed more patents than the entire Indian softwaree industry put together.
Finally we have mastered the art of services which has led to many process innovations. But when it comes to product we are miles behind the other nations.
So is there a silver lining to this dark cloud?
I think there is. For one India is a leader in the Global Innovation Efficiency Index. India ranks 2nd on that scale just after China. That means we have been making the best of the limited investments we have made in the innovation space.
The most important nidice for growth of Indian innovation is the Indian education system. Indian schools and academic institutions need to invest more in research led innovation. The spirit of enquiry needs to be encouraged and not stifiled. Already some of our best brains leave the country due to this general apathy towards research.
I think India has failed to achieve its due status in the global scenario on innovation and it is time it gets its act together.
Commericalizing innovation is a challenge for most countries, more so India. While the number of patents filed in India has gone up, there is still little or no support for the patented idea to be commercialised. No venture capital/ angel investor funds are ready to invest in product driven ideas (not software products). It took 3M to introduce a utensil scrubber that we all use today. What about the eco-friendliness of that? Why is no Indian firm introducing a coconut or other indigenous fibre based scrubber? I am sure such options are available but they do not have the money power to be visible to all Indians.
ReplyDeleteFor this reason many of our innovations are targeted to foreign markets becaue they can pay for it. The uncertainity that comes with commercialising innovation, also makes lesser people want to take the process to completion.
I agree Arch. I am afraid that commercialization of patents is another area that is way behind global standards. I feel there is a serious need to engage, innovators in this process.
ReplyDelete