Scaling Up India's Innovation Ecosystem

India aims to enhance its innovation landscape by fostering a deep tech future. According to Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the goal is for India to become a "product nation".

Current Scenario

• Design Capabilities: India is proficient in designing, with one in five of the world’s semiconductor design engineers located in India. However, the country contributes to less than 10% of global chip design facilities.
• The need is to have design capabilities based on local specifications rather than global companies’ specifications.

Challenges and Vision

• Beyond Manufacturing: To avoid the "middle income trap", India needs to focus on creating products based on local designs rather than solely relying on manufacturing.
• Profit Distribution: In industries like cellphone assembly and chip manufacturing, substantial profits lie in pre- and post-manufacturing stages.

Fostering Deep Tech Startups

• Technology Foresight: Sood acknowledges the relatively low number of deep tech startups but notes a positive transformation.
• In the quantum sector, there are about 35 companies, with eight startups funded under the National Quantum Mission.
• The AI mission by the Ministry of Electronics emphasizes startup growth in deep tech.

Successful Models and Future Prospects

• Space Programme: India's national space programme showcases its capability in cutting-edge projects at lower costs, now attracting private sector involvement.
• Defence and Biotechnology: iDEX in defence and BIRAC in biotechnology mirror the space sector's success.
• The challenge remains in creating demand for future products, requiring ongoing support.