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| Energy & Environment | IT & Software | Pharma, Biotech and Health |
| View Point From the Technology & IPR Desk Design for Competitiveness Since liberalization in 1991, Indian industry has been exposed to international competition, leading to restructuring of plants and processes. So far, cost compression has provided Indian companies with an edge, but lowering market barriers will imply a rethinking of business strategy. In the emerging knowledge-based economy, it is design that will drive competitiveness. Design will be a crucial component in the technology and innovation dominated marketplace of the future. The era of globalization requires breakthrough management by Indian corporates by making design an intrinsic part of their growth strategy.
- Vineet K Goyal |
General 
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08 September 2005 -- Consider American poet Robert Frost unforgettable lines:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by…”
If anything, it is this road less traveled that has propelled thirty-five young individuals, including four Indian-Americans, to the level of the world’s top technology innovators for 2005. That’s how they are being honored this month by MIT’s Technology Review magazine. These are inventors and discoverers and entrepreneurs who challenge the establishment. They are the disrupters of existing technology, creating their wonders in universities, startups, and large corporations. Today’s technology innovators have a vision for the future and a passion that will take us there. They imagine without limits. They stake a business on a single concept. They go the distance for a product with potential. As Technology Review (TR) acknowledges, "These are the cream of technologists who gravitate to the most interesting and difficult scientific and engineering problems at hand, and arrive at solutions no one had imagined." But unlike the previous four years, this year the numbers have been whittled down from the usual TR100 to a more compact thirty-five young innovators who exemplify the spirit of contemporary technology leading to "a road map to what's hot in emerging technology." "The TR35 is among the most prestigious honors that can be bestowed on a young innovator," says Technology Review Editor in Chief Jason Pontin. "We hail their accomplishments and look forward to even more from them in the future." TR reminds us that the winners from previous years "have changed your world." And, indeed, they have. The honorees – all under age 35 -- were selected by a prestigious panel of judges for their potential to profoundly impact the world. The Indian-Americans in this select group are: Narasimha Chari, 31, of Tropos Networks; Anita Goel, 32, of Nanobiosym; Rajit Manohar, 33, of Cornell University; and Shiladitya Sengupta, 33, of MIT. Bangalore, India —
India is to open a technology development center in Moscow under the terms of
a technology partnership accord India and Russia agreed three years ago. The development is expected to provide an additional route for Russian technologists to commercialize their innovations. While Russian scientists and researchers have often displayed originality of thought and exceptional engineering skills with limited resources, sales, marketing and business acumen have been weaknesses of the Russian technology environment. An agreement to set up a development center is to be signed later this week, during the visit of India’s science and technology minister Kapil Sibal to Moscow. India’s national industry association, the Confederation of Indian Industry, will also be involved in the functioning of the center, according to a Press Trust of India report from New Delhi here on Tuesday (Sept. 6). Exactly what the center will focus upon has not yet been disclosed. Under other aspects of Indo-Russian cooperation India’s center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has supplied scaled down versions of its “Param Padma” supercomputer to Russia. C-DAC is also one of the main participants in the Russian-Indian Center for Advanced Computing Research set up in 2000. Other agreements relating to science and technology are also likely to be signed during the minister’s visit. India and Russia have had long ties for joint scientific and technology projects, some of which have remained functional despite the turmoil prompted by the breakdown of the Soviet Union. MOSCOW,
SEPTEMBER 6: An agreement to set up an Indian technology centre here to promote
commercial use of Russian technology will be signed during Science and Technology
Minister Kapil Sibal's visit beginning today. The centre, to be set up under the technological partnership accord signed during President Vladimir Putin's New Delhi visit in 2002, will promote innovative young Russian scientists by helping them to make commercial use of their technology. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) would also be involved in the functioning of this centre, sources said. Sibal is scheduled to visit St. Petersburg and Irkutsk besides holding talks in Moscow with Russian officials on further expansion of scientific exchanges during his week-long visit. Russia is the only country of the world with which India has the largest integrated long-term programme of scientific and technological cooperation (ILTP) involving thousands of scientists of the best labs and research institutes of the two countries.Signed in 1985 by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, ILTP is the only joint project which survived after the collapse of the USSR and has been prolonged by successive governments in both countries. Several world class cutting-edge technologies were introduced in India through ILTP, including the opening of Powder Metallurgy Centre in Hyderabad. Under ILTP Russia had helped setup Bibcol Polio Vaccine plant in Bulandshahr (UP) and a gas hydrate centre has been set up in Chennai for tapping the immense energy potential of the sea bed. NEW
DELHI (AP) - India and the European Union said their relationship took a big leap
forward Wednesday at a summit where they agreed to work together more closely
on increasing trade, boosting technology and fighting terrorism. The deal setting out areas of co-operation puts the relationship "on a new, higher and more intense level," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. "This does mark . . . a significant change, a turning point in relations." Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the wide-ranging agreement "sets the signposts of the way ahead . . . so that we may realize the full potential" of the India-EU relationship. Europe is eager to widen trade ties with its South Asian ally, whose booming economy is making it a major force in the business world. Such hopes got a boost from the announcement at the summit that Indian Airlines had agreed to buy 43 jets from the French-based European consortium Airbus for $2.2 billion US. Beijing, Sept
7 (PTI) China is set to launch its second manned space mission with two astronauts. "The launch of 'Shenzhou VI' spacecraft could be in September or October," president of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., Zhang Qingwei said. Space
officials were carrying out various tests on the craft, and the final launch time
will be adjusted according to the test results, state-run 'China Daily' quoted
Zhang as saying in the east Chinese metropolis, Shanghai. Several pairs of astronauts have been selected, but the final pair will decided on based on their performance in real tests, said Zhang. A flag for the 2010 World Expo to be held in Shanghai will be carried into the sky, he said, adding that Shanghai citizens will probably have the chance to see the articles that will go with Shenzhou VI soon. China became the third nation apart from the United States and Russia to successfully send a man into space in October 2003, when astronaut Yang Liwei orbited the Earth 14 times on the 'Shenzhou V' spacecraft. Yang, an ace fighter pilot, is also undergoing training for a possible second mission. PTI A meeting was held
between the Union Minister of Science & Technology and Ocean Development of
India, Shri Kapil Sibal and the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian
Federation Mr. A.A. Fursenko in Moscow yesterday. Important aspects of the present status and the future development of cooperation in the areas of science & technology and innovations were discussed during the meeting. The sides noted that favourable conditions existed for expanding interaction in the areas of bio-technology, nano-technology and information technology. They were in favour of concentrating their financial resources on joint projects which would serve the interests of national scientific & technological priorities. Special attention was paid by the two sides to the matter of improving the mechanisms of commercialization and technology transfer. In this connection agreement in principle was reached on drawing up mutually agreed proposals to set up an Indo-Russian Technology Centre. The two sides exchanged views on establishing interaction between young scientists of India and Russia. It was proposed to examine the possibility of holding regular workshops, conferences and seminars in which they would participate. This kind of interaction would not only promote the growth of academic mobility amongst young scientists, but would also strengthen bilateral ties in the area of science & technology for a long time to come. In view of the growing significance of science & technology in the overall scheme of bilateral relations, the Ministers agreed to hold annual inter-ministerial meetings to review the practical issues of cooperation in the field of science & technology and innovations. The Union Minister of Science & Technology and Ocean Development of India Shri Kapil Sibal extended an invitation to the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation A.A. Fursenko to make an official bilateral visit to India on the occasion of the 7-8 November 2005 Global R&D Summit 2005. Citigroup
India, which made its first venture lending in the country by sanctioning $1.5
million to a Chennai-based BPO last week, is in negotiations with a clutch of
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in technology, life science and media sectors
for similar funding deals. “Venture lending is a new product from Citigroup. As part of our SME strategy, we have engaged several good quality SMEs in technology, life sciences and media sectors in India for venture lending,” said Ajay Hatdangadi, vice-president, Citigroup Venture Lending. Last week, Citigroup India’s corporate investment bank had announced $1.5 million (about Rs 6.5 crore) venture lending to Secova Eservices, a Chennai-based highly successful start-up company in human resources BPO space. This was the first such ‘venture lending’ by Citigroup globally and first of its kind deal by any banks in India, he said, adding that some other banks have done similar deals in other parts of the world. “This is part of the Citigroup’s strategy to provide the much-needed capital for emerging companies,” Hattangadi said. Venture lending, which is a mix of term loan and an additional pledge of stock warrants, is aimed at assisting the highly successful small and medium companies in getting an alternate source of funds without selling their equity to raise additional capital, he explained. “We are looking at a good combination of strong management and proven track record to provide venture lending,” he said, without revealing the names of the entities involved in the negotiations. |