Reinvention of Innovation

CONTEXT: India broke into the top-50 of GII club for the first time, after Ranked 48th in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020

Global Innovation Index

• Co-published by WIPO, Cornell University and INSEAD, the report provides an annual ranking of the innovation capabilities and performance of economies around the world.

• Switzerland, Sweden, USA, Britain, and the Netherlands were 2020 top-rankers.

• The ranking is based on a set of 80+ indicators, which are grouped under 5 major innovation categories:

1. Institutions
2. Human capital and research
3. Infrastructure
4. Market sophistication
5. Business sophistication

• There is also a sub-index, called Innovation Output, whose measure include:

• Knowledge and technology outputs
• Creative outputs

Recent Innovation-related Initiatives of India

• Universalisation of national biometric Unique Identity (UID)

• Availability and affordability of feature-rich mobile phones
• Expansion of fiber-optic network and related infra to >2lakhs gram panchayats
• Access to online citizen services through over 3.5 lakhs community service centers
• Expansion in Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) to actual beneficiaries, covering over 450 schemes
• Torch-bearing Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):

• Establishment of 5,800 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL)
• Launch of Atal Research and Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE) to assist, promote and facilitate innovations by micro and small enterprises (MSEs)

• Based on SBIR programme of USA

• With 500+ incubators, 50,000+ start-ups, India has emerged as the 3rd most vibrant start-up ecosystem
• ISRO satellite launches such as Chandrayaan II 

India’s Performance

• Entrepreneurial and human capital: The depth can be gauged by the growth of a $190bn+ knowledge-based export services economy in the IT/ITeS sector.

• Ranked 12th in the world in the number of science graduates.
• Ranked 16th in R&D-intensive global companies.

• Global Brand Value: This is a  new GII indicator.

• Ranked 31st, hosting 164 of the world’s top 5,000 brands.

• Applied R&D: Expansion from institutions like CSIR, IITs, IISc and bio-tech consortiums.

• Recently launched a new genre of PPPs, called Tech Garage (aka technological powerhouse) in frontline technology applications for providing large-scale solutions across various sectors.

• Positive Balance of Trade: Net exporter of R&D to the world, as per GII.

• Excellence in innovation outcomes: In relation to innovation efforts and investments.

Way Ahead

• Steady increase in investment of R&D, from its current 0.85% of GDP.

• This is significantly lower than the top five R&D spenders globally.

• Accelerated implementation of National Education Policy 2020 across states.
• Achieving necessary convergence between various innovation stakeholders.
• Access to reliable and high-speed information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially in remotest areas of the country.

Conclusion

• Our medium-term target must now be to reach the top 20 in GII ranking in the next five years.
• Innovation is the only way forward.