Seminar Conceptus !

The global expansion of economic markets has been accompanied by two important trends in world affairs: first, a parallel expansion in global-scale technological systems that provide the infrastructural foundation for market activity: transportation, communication, energy, and manufacturing; and second, a proliferation of security, health, and environmental concerns that are closely coupled to the transformation of global technologies, as well as frequently to one another, and that raise important and complex questions for international governance.

On the basis of a categorisation of ways in which the generated knowledge is transmitted, this seminar explores the impact of the different forms of the globalisation of technology on developing countries in general and India in particular. Through travelling, media, scientific and technical workshops, Internet and many other communication channels, globalisation allows the transmission of knowledge at a much greater pace than in the past. However, this does not automatically imply that developing countries succeed to benefit from technological advances. On the contrary, this will strongly rely on the nature of the technology and of the policies implemented in both advanced and developing countries.

The international transmission of know-how, knowledge and technological expertise is growing and it is increasingly important in the world economy. The weight of science-based commodities is constantly increasing in world trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) by transnational corporations (TNCs) is an important vehicle for the transmission of innovation across the world, transborder scientific and technological cooperation is absorbing more energies and resources of governments and firms. New opportunities are now opening to benefit from the available stock of knowledge. But how important are they for India? Are they participating in these flows or are they rather staying aside and observing them? How are their technological capabilities affected by the considerable increase in the flows of knowledge?

The specific form and extent of technology, globalisation for India bears important consequences for its government action, and implies an especially active attitude towards innovation policies. It will in fact be argued that the globalisation of technology offers new opportunities for development, but that they are by no means available without deliberate effort to absorb innovation through endogenous learning.

Five core sectors - Agriculture, Education and Health care, Infrastructure including Power, Information and Communication technologies and Strategic Sectors including Defense, Nuclear and Space Technologies are identified with an integrated nationwide approach for growth. From ‘vision to mission’, and transforming dreams into reality to see a developed India by 2020. Such is the central themes of two new books — Envisioning an Empowered Nation, and India — My Dream, in which the principal driving force is unmistakably the President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The fundamentally common theme that runs through these two works is the key role technology plays as a delivery tool to catalyze this great transformation. Therefore, the content revolves around the big challenges before the country such as poverty, literacy, healthcare, water (too familiar for ages now) and how technological interventions can sort them out. In short, the stuff is serious.

Technocrats of international repute demonstrates India’s technological strengths in the areas of Defense, Aerospace, Information and Communication technologies and the need for linking the academics, Industry and research laboratories to fully leverage these vital engines of growth. There were several instances where India was denied technical inputs by the developed world. Indian scientists and engineers took this upon themselves as a challenge and developed world-class solutions indigenously. Technology denied proved to be technology gained. Drawing extensively from the success of the space, missile, agriculture, Information Technology and finally the large manpower, His Excellency President Kalam feels that vision 2020 is in the realm of the possible. The linking of rivers, water mission, healthcare, tourism, literacy, alternate energy all driven by the application of technology and implemented through mega national programmes would clearly place India on the path to rapid development, contend the authors.

Though, the question of raising huge funds, for example, the mega river-linking projects is estimated to cost more than Rs One lakh crore, is a practical issue to be seriously addressed. While there can hardly be any doubt that technology should benefit society.

It is one thing to say that the advances in strategic sectors can be converted into societal advantages and another to realize them as the delivery stage is fraught with many challenges. The Society for Biomedical Technology, which experimented this route by developing indigenous pacemakers, stents, lasers and the like has but achieved marginal success when it came to technology transfer and bringing low cost Indian made hi-tech products to the poor masses.

The successes of IT professionals, especially in globalised economies have only accelerated the trend. Therefore, unless a challenging environment is created within the country, this growing talent could contribute both in technology development (abroad) and delivery (operating from India for MNCs) more to developed nations.

In the 21st century, a new society is emerging where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilisation of this existing knowledge can create comprehensive wealth for the nation. Such a knowledge society has two very important components driven by societal transformation and wealth generation. The societal transformation has to be through large-scale development in education, healthcare, agriculture and governance. These in turn will lead to employment generation, high productivity and rural prosperity. How do we do that? The IT industry has shown that by transferring bits and bytes across geographically dispersed locations, knowledge multiplies and generates wealth. The national initiative in building golden quadrilateral transport super highways criss-crossing the country is already underway and will soon become the pride of the nation. In similar way, we need connectivity among the villages providing them urban amenities.

Knowledge powered rural development is an essential need for transforming India into a knowledge power and high bandwidth rural connectivity is the minimum requirement to take education, health care and economic dynamism to the rural areas. Knowledge society leading to knowledge super power can prosper and survive only in the environment of economic security and internal security. Nation has to work for transformation into ‘developed India’. Road maps on certain areas have been generated where we have to work for. ‘Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas’ (PURA) will show how electronic connectivity can be used to reduce the load on physical transport network. For example, if you can find that you can book your railway tickets through the web in a secure and reliable way, you will not have to take the car or scooter and go to the railway station. Many day-to-day activities that require you to commute can be done electronically, even generating a new breed of workers – particularly in our Women - who telecommute.

India still has about a quarter of her population living below the poverty line. The current food grain production of 200 Million MT has to reach 300 Million MT by 2020 using the same area of cultivable land. However, India ranks first in terms of global milk production, she ranks 54^th in terms of productivity. The country has over 560000 villages most of which lack basic infrastructure including drinking water. There is no denying the fact that the Muslim community in India has experienced extensive marginalisation and disempowerment since Independence. This is manifested in the grossly disproportionate representation of the community in varied sectors such as bureaucracy, academics, engineering, Parliament, state legislatures and local Panchayats, in the central, state governments and Panchayats. No country can be stable and vibrant if substantial sections of its population fail to keep pace with the rest and remain alienated from its public life. The danger is particularly great if country happens to be democratic and the alienated sections, a distinct and recognizable minority.

Dr Kalam’s famous book entitled: Envisioning an Empowered Nation - Technology for Societal Transformation is a logical extension of the present cause of organizing such seminar with a specific focus on use and implications of globalistion of technology to realize India’s dream of becoming a developed nation by 2020. The seminar takes upon the President of India’s challenge to reverse these conditions using technology as a catalyst of change. Using the abundant natural resources, rich bio-diversity and the 300 million youth with ignited minds, the country needs to step up its growth rate to double digits to realize the goal of a developed India by 2020. The country needs to simultaneously achieve economic prosperity and national security and find its rightful place on this planet. Focused minds with determination and leadership are the need of the hour.

The present seminar is the journey of the extensive traveling and interactions with people from various walks of life, including a large number of students, academicians, technocrats, engineers and policy makers. This seminar presents the vision and a plan of action to propel India into an orbit of prosperity by the end of the next decade while integrating the strengths existing within the Indian milieu and ground reality. The seminar is also intended to facilitate discussions on ways to achieve peaceful and constructive group accommodation in situations involving majorities and minorities while at the same time promoting peace and prosperity in the multi-ethnic and religious societies where minority conflicts endanger the society of the country or even jeopardize its very existence. The seminar has made an attempt to explore future of globalization of technology in the light of the extent where democracy and other forms of decentralized governance contribute to accomplish this goal or whether it is an important cause of the problem.

This seminar calls upon all Indian citizens to share the vision and join the mission to India’s prosperity. We have a choice - Now or Never.