Seminar by Prof. Sunil Mani

19 January 2024

Start

January 19, 2024 - 3:30 pm

End

January 19, 2024 - 5:00 pm

Address

Joan Robinson Hall   View map

Evolution of Technological Self-Reliance in India: A Comprehensive Analysis of Patent, R&D, and Human Resources Policies

by  Prof. Sunil Mani, Honorary Visiting Professor, CDS

Chair:
Prof. C. Veeramani, Director and RBI Chair Professor, CDS

Abstract:

India’s pursuit of technological self-reliance has been a consistent thread woven into its growth narrative from the inception of five-year plans. This study delves into the evolution of India’s approach to technological self-sufficiency by scrutinizing three pivotal components of its technology and innovation policy: (i) patent policy, (ii) R&D tax incentive policy, and (iii) the policy’s impact on the supply of human resources for science and technology. In the early years, the nation sought to establish a robust foundation for the indigenous development of industrial and critical technologies across diverse sectors like agriculture, defence and space. This involved the creation of public research institutions, fostering in-house R&D initiatives in the corporate sector, and establishing public sector enterprises in key industries. While regulated technology transfers from abroad initially complemented these efforts, the dynamics have shifted over time.

Professor Sunil Mani is a former Director and Professor, Reserve Bank of India Chair at the Centre. Earlier, he was a faculty member and head of graduate studies at the United Nations University-Institute for New Technologies (now known as UNU-MERIT) at Maastricht in the Netherlands. He obtained his M. Phil and PhD in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has done postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford on a fellowship from the Ford Foundation, New York. He has held Visiting Professorships at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan; Bocconi University, Milan, Italy and the University of Toulouse Jean Jaures, Toulouse, France and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Further, he serves on the editorial boards of two international journals, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics (Elsevier) and the International Journal of Technology and Globalization (Inderscience). According to SCOPUS and Google Scholar, his H-index is 10 and 25, respectively. A detailed list of his publications can be found at https://cds.edu/faculty/prof-sunil-mani/