1. Background
Technological change and innovation, driven by research and development have been found to be the most important sources of increased productivity, higher growth and better welfare. As a result, there is a high correlation between those countries that have shown significant economic improvement in the past and those countries that have made substantial investment in R&D. According to a 2011 global R&D funding forecast, India’s investment in the crucial area of R&D is 0.9% of GDP (on purchasing power parity (PPP)), which is quite low as compared to other countries (Table below). It may also be noted that the ICT&E sector would account for a further small part of this investment, and majority of this R&D funding comes out of public funded R&D projects.
Table: 2011 Global Forecast (excerpts) – Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D
(GERD)
Rank Country GERD PPP (Billions, US$) R&D as % of GDP 1 United States 405.3 2.7 2 China 153.7 1.4 3 Japan 144.1 3.3 4 Germany 69.5 2.3 5 South Korea 44.8 3.0 6 France 42.2 1.9 7 United Kingdom 38.4 1.7 8 India 36.1 0.9 9 Canada 24.3 1.8 10 Russia 23.1 1.0
Source: 2011 Global R&D Funding Forecast, Featured article, December 2010, www.rdmag.com
It is believed that economic leadership in the 21st century will be achieved by nations who possess the ability to convert internal or external scientific discoveries into commercial solutions in an economical and efficient manner. Therefore, it is imperative for our country to enhance R&D capacities so as to move higher up on the development ladder, develop and enhance indigenous technologies, and increase its share in global innovations and their commercialisation. Furthermore, increased R&D capability and capacity also plays a significant role in enhancing country’s security.
In the above background, Government of India has constituted a Sub Group on e-Innovation/ R&D under the Working Group on Information Technology sector for the formulation of the 12thFive Year Plan.
2. Objectives, Targets and Achievement during 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12)
2.1 Objectives and Targets set for 11thPlan
The Study Team on R&D constituted for 11th Plan with a view to make India a global R&D hub had made following recommendations:
(1) To significantly energize and strengthen the R&D efforts and also restore Electronics to its appropriate place, it was suggested that an IT and Electronics Commission may be created with administrative and financial powers in line with Space and Atomic Commissions.
(2) To strengthen the mechanism to take the technologies developed through DIT funding at academic/R&D institutes and labs to market for commercialization, it was suggested to:
(i) Show case the technologies developed by DIT funding in different cities,
(ii) Bring in changes in IPR policy defining the IPR and royalty sharing mechanism between developing institutions, inventors and the industry. Also bring in Transfer of Technology (TOT) policy so as to take spot decisions on TOT and terms of TOT should also be put in place,
(iii) Funding may be provided to all development oriented projects where prototype units to be developed and deployed in the field and are upgraded based on feedback on field testing,
(iv) DIT should work out a detailed scheme for young entrepreneurs for supporting technology innovations/incubation including providing infrastructure, legal, marketing, mentoring, grant in aid support for project, fiscal incentives and tax rebates,
(v) DIT may take an integrated view through a Technology Innovation Promotion Scheme (TIPS) and work out details of the scheme in consultation with the stakeholders after reviewing the existing national innovation system and successful models adopted in some leading countries to draw parallel,
(vi) Set up ICTE Clusters to create enabling environments to bring synergies in research and development amongst local industry, academics and research institutions after examining different models for adoption in India,
(vii) To facilitate Design led Manufacturing in the country a suitable tax credit scheme may be evolved based on R&D investment,
(viii) Government should develop replicable and sustainable models of deployment of technologies and products by taking up field
(ix) R&D policy of Government should facilitate outsourcing and R&D organizations must concentrate on the areas of their core competence and outsource other jobs to become global leader with internal expertise in all areas of ICT.
(3) To take care of talent crunch for DIT labs and universities and create more manpower for research and to offset attrition, the following was suggested: (i) To enhance pay scales of technical manpower in academics, Government and R&D labs to enable attracting/retention of qualified manpower,
(ii) To attract more students to go for PhD, DIT should create a prestigious research fellow ship at enhanced rates, with a provision for participation of the scholar in national and international conferences for presentation of papers,
(iii) DIT should involve faculty of tier II institutions in research by supporting a large number of small projects based on the strengths and interest of concerned faculty.
(iv) For DIT autonomous societies earlier CDOT/CDAC model of contract manpower may be adopted in which higher level of compensation package and incentivization is possible. As other alternative the IIT kind of system could be followed where one kind of people are provided tenure position yet with number of incentives like consulting, sabbatical etc supported by contract/project manpower as mentioned above.
(4) The contribution of private sector R&D in ICT has been a small portion proportion of country’s R&D expenditure and it should be increased to the level of 50 percent in next five years.
(5) Direct rewards may be created for the researchers and inventors who generate the patent able Intellectual Property. A Centre for global trading of Intellectual Property may be created.
(6) Government should sponsor R&D Corporation of India (RDCI) with an initial corpus of Rs. 1000 crores to help in creating, enabling environment and ecosystem for attraction of funds for R&D including private sector. R&DCI will be empowered to work with all government agencies to provide conducive regulatory and synergic environment.
2.2 Achievements made during 11thPlan
In accordance with the recommendation of the Study Group on R&D constituted for 11th Plan, a number of new initiatives were taken up by DIT, which have been described in the this report. However, some of the policy decisions could not be taken, such as creation of IT and Electronics Commission, bringing in changes in IPR Policy, putting in place terms of TOT, creation of R&D Corporation of India etc.
As per the thrust areas identified in the 11thPlan, new projects/programmes were taken for promoting R&D activities in different areas of IT, electronics, and communications. Some of the important achievements are summarized below:
Initiatives on Nano-technology: The Centres of Excellence at IIT Bombay and
IISc, Bangalore has been made operational. Major Centres are being created at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi and IIT Madras. About 800 researchers across the country benefited through INUP programme. More than 30 patents have been filled, 600 technical papers published and about 300 PhDs students registered. A Nanoelectronics Innovation Council has been set-up recently.
Microelectronics development: Centres for analogue and mixed design have
been created. Digital Programmable Hearing Aid developed and field trials are being conducted. 6 patents and 2 copyrights have been filed.
Industrial Electronics: Collaborative R&D focussed programmes on National
Mission on Power Electronics Technology (NaMPET), Automation Systems Technology Centre (ASTeC), Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and Electronics Applications for Agriculture & Environment (e-AGRIEN) were undertaken. NaMPET programme already completed and ASTeC is likely to be completed by March, 2012. Commercialisation of successful technologies developed has started. Some examples are: Grid Interactive Solar Inverter, Railway Application, H/w & S/w automation technology modules, etc. Four TOT done and four copyrights/patents filed.
Medical Electronics/ Telemedicine: LINAC 6 MV machine developed under
collaborative programme & deployed successfully at hospitals. Also being used by ISRO. TOT being processed. Pilot deployment of telemedicine technologies done in 6 States.
Electronics Materials & Components: Hafnium Sponge, SiC & High power
microwave substrates developed first time in country for ISRO, DRDO & DAE respectively. Pilot production facilities are being created. E-waste recycling technology (1MT Pilot facility) developed. NABL accredited Testing & Certification facility for RoHS created as the only Government facility.
RF/ Microwave Electronics: State-of-the-art facilities for Millimeter Wave
technologies, compact antenna test range facility and batch fabrication facility for LINAC tube established. Being used by strategic Departments. Technologies for atmospheric instrumentation, communication systems for strategic applications & microwave disinfections systems, RF driers for agricultural applications developed and demonstrated.
High Performance Computing: PARAM Yuva (sustained performance of 37.8
Teraflops & peak performance of 54 Teraflops) with 200 Terabytes storage commissioned. Application developed include weather forecasting, drug designing, bio-informatics, seismic modelling.
Grid Computing: Garuda grid has been deployed on National Knowledge
Network. Interoperability achieved with European grid.
IT Emerging Areas: National Ubiquitous Computing Research Resource
Centres made operational in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. Perception engineering Programme initiated. Under National RFID Programme Parcel Tracking System has been implemented for Department of Posts in six metros covering 140 post offices.
Free / Open Source Software: Open Source Software (NRCFOSS) established.
Bharat Operating System Solutions (BOSS) Desktop developed with Indian languages support. BOSS Advanced Server developed with enhanced security.