‘’The proposal to set up a NLSRC by the DBT is a welcome suggestion’’

AABLE is pleased to note that the emphasis on developing the S&T skills of the India are being taken seriously and that the proposed 12th Plan outlay for DST, DBT and DSIR is expected to increase by 150 per cent to approximately Rs 52,000 crores from the Rs 20,500 crores spent in the 11th plan. Most of the initiatives of the three departments are well thought off and if all goes as per that it will certainly lead to a significant improvement in the Innovation index of India.

In the last plan approximately Rs 6000 crores of the total outlay of Rs 26400 crores has been shown as unutilised and ABLE hopes that the current plan the entire sum of Rs 52,000 crores is utilised. For planning it is very important that the parameters used for judging progress are clearly defined, understood and grounded in reality. To establish a Performance Observation System in Science is a commendable approach. The proposal to set up a NLSRC by the DBT is a welcome suggestion since such a centre would help speed up the process of Innovation in SMEs. India has a large and vibrant industry that has a lot of good and trained scientists that have their ears and eyes plugged into the business realities of the various industries they work in. In a situation where the GoI would like to increase the GDP spent on R&D from one to two per cent with one per cent contribution from the private sector, the private sector would also need parity to access R&D funds if the equation would have to strike a balance. In the past a lot of research happening in the public sector institutes was found to more academic. Efforts of the public sector need to focus on basic sciences and the efforts of the private sector need to focus on adapting and taking it to the market. Thus some mechanism needs to be worked out where duplication of effort or wasting resources on doing activities best done by other organisations needs to be avoided. For the human resources development or the Innovation/Incubation centres it would be perhaps worthwhile to consider one body across the three departments instead of spending resources in parallel efforts. The National Government of several countries have stepped on their efforts in supporting their private sectors and have leapt ahead. China, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea are on an overdrive to capture the obvious near to mid-term opportunities. Sensing a better local support several Indian companies have set up or are planning facilities in such countries. To draw the attention to this situation ABLE has submitted a set of recommendations and hopes that the Government of India takes it seriously since biologics is a national imperative and ABLE feels that it needs to be on the fast track and be treated as a national mission spearheaded by the PMO because of the enormity of the task.

– PM Murali, President, ABLE