Draft `India Data Accessibility and Use’ policy 2022

The draft India Data Accessibility and Use Policy was published on MeitY website on February 21, 2022. Since its publication, MeitY has been receiving several comments and suggestions on the draft policy. It’s also observed that there is a need to bring in some more clarity with regard to some of the clauses in the draft policy so that the objectives of the Data Accessibility policy to enable better services is made amply clear. These clauses will be finalized after getting inputs of stakeholders in the consultation process Accordingly the draft policy document for consultations is being shared here.

The inputs/feedback may be sent to Ms. Kavita Bhatia, Scientist F at the email kbhatia[at]gov[dot]in and pmu [dot] etech [at] meity [dot] gov [dot]in.

The last date of submission for inputs/feedback is March 18, 2022.

NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

To cater next-generation digital manufacturing and mitigate immediate disabilities of local industries, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Communications & Railways and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship released “National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing” on 24th February 2022.

Main recommendation was establishment of National Additive Manufacturing Centre and strengthening technology leadership.

Innovation Strategy- India and UK: Wish list Vs Pragmatism

The draft Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, 2020 is a non-starter as a policy on innovation and went into a limbo. When authorities try to give a new avatar the team can benefit from UK policy paper `UK Innovation Strategy: leading the future by creating it'

A recap of India's draft:

Broad vision- To double the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researchers, Gross Dimestic Expenditture on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution to the GERD every 5 years. Open Data Policy for Publicly Funded Research: All data used in and generated from public-funded research will be available to everyone (larger scientific community and public) under FAIR3 (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) terms. Wherever applicable, exceptions will be made on grounds of privacy, national security and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Transforming existing R&D institutions to research universities. This will foster better linkages between research and education and also enable effective utilization of research infrastructure. Foreign MultiNational Companies (MNCs): Foreign MNCs play an integral role in boosting India’s economy. To gainfully measure and assess the contributions made by foreign MNCs in the STI financing landscape, innovative methods to capture them will be developed. Boosting fiscal incentives for industries investing in STI through incremental R&D based tax incentives, tax credit for investing in facilities for commercialization, tax holidays, tax waivers, target-based tax incentive for specific domains, tax deduction, expatriate tax regimes, remodelling of patent box regime etc. There will be a reassessment of the possibility of reviving weighted deduction provisions (of expenditure incurred on in-house R&D).Flexible mechanism for supplier development programmes for public procurement in all sectors (especially earmarked for Small & Medium Enterprises - SMEs and Start-ups).Reassessment of regulatory control on STI landscape to promote innovative enterprises. It is recommended that the Central Government re-examine and widen the scope of R&D expenditure. Further, the government may determine the right mix of loan, equity and grants to assist Indian industries for technology up-gradation and commercialization. Further, to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in STI, reduction in corporate tax rates for foreign MNCs, fast track clearances, easing land acquisitions, adequate means for incorporating FDI etc. will be explored on a need basis. To undertake efficient governing mechanisms for the STI funding landscape, a national STI Financing Authority will be created.Modification/waiver of General Financial Rules, for large scale mission mode programmes and projects of national importance will be explored. A new model for funding, implementation and monitoring of such programmes will be developed, either as an overarching mechanism or through obtaining cabinet approvals in respect of individual programmes. In addition, certain GFRs will be required to be amended for funding of R&D projects to facilitate ease of doing research.

Summery: A great compilation of wish list. There is something for every stakeholder.  STI Financing Authority , modification/ waiver of GFR are radical proposals in Indian context.

UK Policy paper focus is comparitively narrow, pragmatic and more likely will be acted upon.  They talk of innovation by business which is diffrent from business innovation , favouraite of Unicorns.

Vision is for the UK to be a global hub for innovation. Strategy set out plans against 4 key pillars, which will support the achievement of that vision:

• Pillar 1: Unleashing business – we will fuel businesses who want to innovate
• Pillar 2: People - we will make the UK the most exciting place for innovation talent
• Pillar 3: Institutions and places - we will ensure our research, development and innovation institutions serve the needs of businesses and places across the UK
• Pillar 4: Missions and technologies – we will stimulate innovation to tackle major challenges faced by the UK and the world and drive capability in key technologies

Indian draft is for ease of doing research by government funded researchers of government funded institutes where as thrust of UK policy paper is on innovation by commercial enterprises.

Innovation-public policy interface

Learning from the book: 

Impact of public policy instruments on supply and demand of innovation are conditioned by competition and contagion conditions the firms face. How much competition is appropriate to create an an optimal mix of invention, innovation and diffusion? One study quoted by the author says that an increase in competition leads to a significant increase in R&D investment by `neck and neck’ firms i.e firms that operate at the same technological level.However, increased competition decreases R&D investments by firms that are lagging behind, in particular if the time horizon is short. This explains Indian firms strong R&D in Pharma and weak R&D in electronic sector. Large technology gap discourages innovation efforts in the presence of import based competition.

The contagion effect (imitation potential) increases with large pools (supply) of knowledge to learn from and firms may undertake technological activity to benefit from these contagion effects. Innovative regions like Silicon valley create both competition and contagion effects. Firms in clusters often get locked into specific products and technologies and policies aim at bringing technological dynamism with global value chains. Location of MNC R&D centers in India is not only used for its low cost of operation but also for developing technologies for markets like India. Both for performing R&D and for solving research problems these MNC R&D centres seek more support from their global business units than local units thereby limiting knowledge spill over and contagion effect.

The challenge for the policymakers in the globalized world of open and distributed knowledge networks is the need to identify a policy package that can simultaneously facilitate international linkages for accessing knowledge, incentivize domestic intramural R&D to build absorptive as well as inventive capacity and help create domestic networks for knowledge accumulation and diffusion.

This book by eminent author provides theological inputs and conceptual clarity on contents of my book on `Demand side innovation policy'

UK Innovation Strategy- call of surge in Business led Innovation.

UK Government in its policy document UK Innovation Strategy: leading the future by creating it, terms innovation  as the “lifeblood of business” and sees procurement as a vital component of innovation. The document calls for surge in Buisness led Innovation with focus on public procurement, regulations and standards.

Read the strategy paper to understand how UK is planning to survive divorce from EU.

India has many innovations and they are not jugaad.

Jugaad creations fascinated media, nationalists took affront at India's innovation / patent ranking with the argument that innovations do exist in plenty only they are missed out , while consultants floated a new business line of jugaad/ frugal innovation model. While happy with positive references to India many cautioned on Irrational exuberance on innovation front. Japan developed Technology Absorption model, Korea had Creative Imitaion and China-Secondary innovations as articulated models to move up in the value chain. Once it became clear India needs systematic innovation , India adopted Demand side innovation framework.

Author, Journalist, Dinesh Sharma also takes the view that jugaad is not innovation. He lists 100 innovations, including those in Governance, Public Utilities and Law. In digital age we will be seeing many more innovations in this space.

Buy the book from Amazon