NEW DELHI: Technological sovereignty is crucial to national sovereignty and India cannot remain dependent indefinitely on imported technologies in areas critical to its economy, security and development, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said today.
Addressing the 85th Foundation Day celebrations of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at C. R. Subramaniam Hall, NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, he said CSIR laboratories must identify areas of critical technological dependence and work towards indigenous solutions that are globally competitive in performance, quality and cost. India’s ambition, he said, must go beyond import substitution and extend to becoming a technology provider to the world.
The 85th Foundation Day celebrations were attended by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Director General, CSIR, Directors of CSIR laboratories, senior scientists, researchers, officials, industry representatives, startups and other stakeholders. More than 40 ambassadors from 14 countries were also present and joined the visit to the CSIR exhibits.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said CSIR is among the few institutions that have led India’s journey after Independence, having begun its own journey in 1942, before the country became independent. He said the organisation represents a rich scientific legacy built over more than eight decades and has developed capabilities across a wide range of domains. The Minister said the challenge before CSIR is to live up to this legacy by continuously renewing its scientific and technological work according to the current and futuristic requirements of the country.
Referring to the diverse achievements of CSIR laboratories, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the organisation’s success stories have increasingly become associated with the identity of different States and regions. He cited examples of CSIR’s contributions in areas ranging from leather technologies and jewellery to healthcare, agriculture, road technologies, food technology and aerospace. He said it is a matter of satisfaction that different regions can increasingly associate themselves with specific scientific and technological achievements emerging from CSIR laboratories.
The Minister said a significant change in the last decade has been the increased visibility of scientific achievements and their greater connection with citizens. He said the scientific work existed earlier as well, but its success stories are now reaching people in a more visible and direct manner. Referring to the opening up of scientific institutions and facilities to wider public participation, he said that if scientific work and services are intended to bring ease of living to citizens, citizens should also know what is being developed and how they can benefit from it.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said CSIR must shorten the journey from laboratory to industry and from discovery to deployment, with stronger industry linkage from the very beginning of a project. He said the traditional approach of developing a technology in the laboratory and subsequently looking for an industry partner needs to give way to a model in which industry is involved from the stage of defining the problem itself.
“Industry should be a co-creator, not only a partner,” Dr. Jitendra Singh said, explaining that scientists understand the science and technological possibilities, while industry understands the market, scale, cost and customer requirements. Bringing these capabilities together from the beginning, he said, can significantly improve the prospects of successful technology translation.
He called for deeper and sustained relationships between CSIR laboratories and industries relevant to their respective domains and encouraged large companies, MSMEs and startups to regard CSIR laboratories as R&D partners. He said industry should be involved in technology development in a manner that takes into account market requirements and the ability to scale and sustain a technology. He also said that while starting a startup may be relatively easy, sustaining one requires stronger linkages between technology, industry and the market.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said technological sovereignty has become increasingly important in a rapidly changing global environment. He said India cannot achieve national sovereignty without technological sovereignty and needs to reduce dependence on external sources in critical areas. He referred to the country’s efforts in nuclear energy, clean energy and other emerging areas, and said the coming years would increasingly test India’s ability to develop and control critical technologies.
The Minister also referred to the National Quantum Mission, IndiaAI Mission and India Genome Mission, saying that India has moved towards a cross-generational and cross-ministerial approach in science and technology. He said this approach is not confined to individual departments but reflects a wider whole-of-government and whole-of-nation effort to address emerging technological challenges.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said CSIR must remain an all-time relevant scientific organisation by continuously rejuvenating its research priorities instead of repeatedly relying on past accomplishments. Referring to newer technologies and applications emerging from CSIR laboratories, he mentioned electric tractors, indigenous pharmaceutical technologies, food technologies, continuous-flow processes, advanced road technologies, solar technologies and mechanised sewer-cleaning solutions. He said CSIR’s focus should remain on present and futuristic national requirements.
The Minister also stressed the importance of making scientific institutions more accessible to society. Recalling his interactions with farmers and other stakeholders, he said greater public engagement helps citizens understand the work taking place inside scientific laboratories. He said CSIR’s technologies and scientific capabilities must ultimately translate into benefits for citizens, industry and the wider economy.
During the Foundation Day celebrations, Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled CIRA: CSIR’s Innovation and Research Ambassador, the new CSIR mascot. He also released the CSIR@85 special postal stamp, CSIR Industry Connect Video and CSIR Technology Compendium. The programme also featured the CSIR-Industry Technology Exhibition, technology transfers and the CSIR Sci-Art Gallery, bringing together scientific achievements, technology development, industry engagement and public outreach.
Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, in her welcome address, described CSIR@85 as a historically important, scientifically significant and strategically important milestone. She spoke about CSIR’s network of 37 laboratories and more than 10,000 personnel, and its work across diverse scientific and technological domains. She also acknowledged the contribution of the extended CSIR family comprising scientists, researchers, technical personnel, industry, MSMEs, startups and other partners.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said the achievements of CSIR ultimately represent the collective contribution of generations of scientists, engineers, researchers, technical personnel, administrative colleagues and support staff. Congratulating the entire CSIR family on completing 85 years, he said the organisation must now prepare itself for the scientific and technological requirements of the coming decades.
As India works towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, Dr. Jitendra Singh said CSIR has a distinctive responsibility because its own journey began before Independence. While India is preparing long-term roadmaps for 2030 and 2047, he said CSIR must aspire to carry its legacy forward beyond 2047.
“When India reaches 2047, I wish CSIR would have lived up to its legacy and travelled and progressed beyond 2047,” the Minister said.
He said the next phase of CSIR’s journey must be defined by faster translation of research into technology, stronger industry partnerships, greater technological self-reliance and continued relevance to India’s emerging national requirements. With its scientific strength spread across 37 laboratories, CSIR, he said, has the institutional capacity to contribute to the technologies that will shape India’s journey towards 2047 and beyond.
