Reinvention of Innovation

The Economic Times     15th September 2020     Save    
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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.
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