What are CSIR and other such organisations doing to turn India into a knowledge power?
There are several steps that are being taken and I will highlight some of the more important ones. To emerge as a knowledge power we must not only create new knowledge, but knowledge that can be protected, so that we can secure wealth from it. Six to seven years ago, CSIR hardly got half-a-dozen US patents a year. Last year, it had 142, which is 40 per cent of all the patents that have been granted to CSIR. It is not just important to be aware of patents or to file for and get them; it is equally important to validate them. Today CSIR has created partnerships with five companies, three in the US and two in India, to see how its patents can be licensed. CSIR is also creating public-private networks where the excellence of the network, rather than individual institutions, is emphasised. We have launched what is called ‘the new-millennium Indian technology leadership initiative’. Under this the government gives soft loans at 3 per cent interest, which are written off if the project does n
