STRATEGIC INDEPENDENCE CRUCIAL IN CRITICAL AREAS, SAYS FORMER DRDO CHIEF

GS Paper 3: Science and Technology – Indigenization of technology and developing new technology

GS Paper 2: Governance – Role of NITI Aayog, Government policies to promote innovation and self-reliance

Key Highlights:

• K. Saraswat, former DRDO Chief and NITI Aayog member, emphasized the need for strategic independence in critical sectors to uphold national sovereignty.
• Highlighted importance of intellectual property (IP) monetisation, domestic innovation, and resilient supply chains.
• Stressed that self-reliance means being free from external control—not just production capacity but technological sovereignty.
• Called for a IP-embedded governance model to support ‘Viksit Bharat’ and a $5 trillion economy vision.

Detailed Insights:

• Saraswat was speaking at National Technology Day celebrations at CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Argued that dependency in critical areas like defense, semiconductors, pharma, and energy weakens national resilience and delays innovation.
• India’s defence ecosystem is a model—weapons developed by Indian scientists and industries under Operation Sin-doori demonstrate successful public-private R&D partnerships.

However, he flagged persistent issues:

• Low patent filings
• Weak IP culture in academia and MSMEs
• Poor tech transfer from labs to markets
• Advocated embedding IP considerations into governance to catalyze economic and strategic autonomy.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

Strategic Independence: The ability of a country to secure key sectors (defense, tech, healthcare) without foreign dependency.

IP Monetisation: The process of converting intellectual property into revenue by licensing, selling, or using it in products/services.

Technology Transfer: Movement of innovations from research labs to commercial application.

Significance:

• Ensuring strategic autonomy is crucial not just for security but for sustainable economic growth.
• Aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat goals for a globally competitive and resilient economy.
• Emphasizes the science-governance-industry triad needed to bridge research and commercialization gaps.
• Strengthening IP ecosystems will determine India’s success in high-tech value chains and global manufacturing competitiveness.