SPEAKING OF SCIENCE
The Innovation Quarter to success
— Photo: K. Murali Kumar
Crucial role: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon Ltd, stressed the importance of innovation for India’s future. .
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) at Bangalore celebrated the centenary of its existence last month. It is an outstanding institution founded by an outstanding individual, J.N. Tata, who was convinced that it is through science and technology that India could become a great nation. Happily, the institute has tried to live up to the expectations and has succeeded greatly in this endeavour.
During its centenary year celebrations, it had invited a number of scholars, who not only shared their thoughts and ideas, but also had some useful suggestions. One of them, Ms. Kiran Mazumder-Shaw of Biocon Ltd, stressed the importance of innovation for India’s future and how the institute can play its part here. Her talk was addressed not only to the IISc but of value to many of us across India. She recalls how President Barack Obama believes that only through innovation can America remain competitive in the global economy. Likewise, if India wants to attain leadership, we too need to innovate to compete effectively.
Not imitation
Innovation, by definition involves introducing something new. It is not a simple imitation, but an addition, however slight it may be. And at its creative extreme, it could be invention. She categorizes innovation into four broad types. The first is what may be termed “incremental innovation”. This builds on an existing idea or model, product, process or service but innovates a bit on it. The effect is to lower the cost and increase the supply or availability. Generic bulk drugs made in India, using a route different from the original, are an example. This is innovation in the “known” sphere where “reverse engineering” enables business success.
The second category is “evolutionary innovation”. Here the innovator builds on what is known, and creates significant new value. It is evolutionary since it is the next step to the incremental. The innovation driver here is market leadership. The car, Tata Nano, exemplifies this well. Another example she quotes is the “once a day” tablets of medicine, or extended release formulations. India has been very good in incremental and evolutionary innovations.
The third is what she terms “breakthrough innovation”. This involves the creation of a radically new product, service, process or business model. Breakthrough is about new technology and novel products that are derived from experimental innovation. The electric car “Reva” or Biocon’s own “oral insulin” exemplify this.
It is in this category of breakthrough innovation that scientific and technological institutions in India have definite opportunities. The innovation driver here is new technologies that arise from existing information, methods and tools. Indian government agencies have set up innovative partnership programmes that bring together academics, research institutions and private industry to generate new technologies and products.
Apart from Biocon’s oral insulin, let me quote another example. This comes from the innovative idea of DR. R. A. Mashelkar, then at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), termed the New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative or NMITLI.
In one of the projects under this scheme, CSIR brought together a few eye research centres, a CISR research laboratory (CCMB at Hyderabad) and the Bangalore-based company Xcyton, and urged them to produce a DNA-based “chip” that would detect microbial infection of the eye, and point out whether the pathogen is a bacterium, fungus, or virus. This novel diagnostic chip is now in the market. The last and the most challenging category is “experimental innovation”, which in reality is close to, or identical to, invention. The driver here is the next practice.
Some examples
Fuel-cell based vehicles, stem cell therapy, gene therapy and applications of nanotechnology are examples here. This is the “land of the unknown” where any one with a novel idea has an opportunity.
With the increased funding and facilities that the Indian government has started to offer, and the number of able and trained scientists that we have, this is an opportune time for India to initiate and sustain a number of collaborative innovation-led programmes. And Mazumdar-Shaw believes that India can deliver a unique model of “affordable innovation” to the world and build global leadership in doing so.
D. BALASUBRAMANIAN
dbala@lvpei.org
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