India must transition from service-based to product-based industry model: NITI Aayog
India must transition from a service-based to a product-based industry model, said Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member (Science & Technology), NITI Aayog.
He said this at the national workshop organised recently at GIFT City in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar to strengthen India's innovation landscape.
Highlighting “the importance of supporting DeepTech startups”, Saraswat stressed “the need for India to transition from a service-based to a product-based industry model”.
He also shared valuable insights into key government initiatives designed to enhance research, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the country.
The workshop aimed to facilitate dialogue and knowledge-sharing among key stakeholders, including government officials, academic leaders, industrial experts, startup founders, and international representatives.
With an agenda designed to foster synergy across sectors, the workshop addressed crucial topics like R&D investments, state policies on innovation, global innovation trends, and grassroots entrepreneurship.
Further, Saraswat emphasised the vital role of collaboration between government bodies, academia, and industry in driving India’s innovation landscape forward.
The need is “for a greater focus on translational research that fosters meaningful innovation and creates impactful startups, reflecting the global shift toward innovation,” Saraswat added.
Meanwhile, Mona Khandhar, IAS, spoke about Gujarat’s commitment to fostering a strong innovation ecosystem, driven by policy initiatives.
She highlighted the state government's dedication to promoting the startup and innovation landscape through various strategic policies, including the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Gujarat Semiconductor Policy, Gujarat Electronics Policy, and the Gujarat Global Capability Center (GCC) Policy.
The workshop also featured several interactive discussions led by eminent leaders in the field of innovation and technology.
Dr. Sacha Wunsch-Vincent from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) outlined the action points for the next 10 years for the unique developmental journey of India.
“The IP profile of India is small but has increased in the last few years, Indian Origin patent filing has increased, and the country will add more S&T clusters in the near future,” he added.
