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 annualranking 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:
Institutions
Human capital and research
Infrastructure
Market sophistication
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.