Roundtable on Indo-US Public-Private Partnership in R & D and Technology Endeavors: The Road Ahead
December 2, 2004, New Delhi

Welcome Address by Shri Y K Modi, President, FICCI

Mr Kapil Sibal, Minister for State for Science and Technology
& Ocean Development;
Dr R A Mashelkar, Director General, CSIR;
Mr Norman Neureiter, Co-Chair of the Indo-US Science
and Technology Forum;
Prof V S Ramamurthy, Co-Chair, Indo-US Science
and Technology Forum;
Dr Arabinda Mitra, Executive Director of the Indo-US Science
and Technology Forum;
Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI;
Distinguished Speakers and Participants.

It gives me great pleasure in welcoming our Minister for Science and Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal as well as Dr Mashelkar, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR to this important Seminar on 'Indo-US Public-Private Partnership in R&D and Technology Endeavors : The Road Ahead'. I would also like to welcome the Co-Chairs of the Forum, Prof Ramamurthy and Mr Norman Neureiter and all the other speakers who have kindly agreed to be with us today.

The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum was set up to facilitate and promote the interaction in India and the United States, of Government, academia and industry in science and technology. In true spirit of this cooperation the Indo-US relationship should foster and create a win-win situation for the scientific communities of the two nations. FICCI's effort is now to join hands with the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum to enhance the private sector inputs into this academia - private and public partnership. This should lead to greater innovation, newer products and ideas.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is our firm belief in FICCI that our scientists and technologists through their efforts in research and technological developments would open significant vistas that would give the second big leap for our country after the initial breakthrough provided by the IT sector. The apex center of research and development is definitely moving towards India with over 300 R&D centers established in this country in the recent past and many of them by multinational corporations. It is an indicator of the shape of things to come. Starting from Texas Instruments who established their presence in 1985, we today have Intel, CISCO, GE, Microsoft, Hughes Software Systems, Whirlpool, Compac, IBM, Bell Labs, General Motors to name of few who have established their R&D presence in India and the number is increasing by the day.

FICCI is happy to provide the necessary support and partnership to Indo-US Science and Technology Forum for building on this concept of Public-Private Partnership. Some of the areas of private sector interest are nano-technology, traditional medicines, green chemistry, bio-technology, renewable energy, stem cell research, and research in the fields of health services, telecommunications, advanced materials etc.

To take this partnership forward, Dr Mitra, Secretary General of FICCI would be presenting towards the end of the day specific proposals for consideration of the Board of Indo-US Science and Technology Forum. I would, however, like to mention that to concretize the effort of Public-Private Partnership, FICCI would like to support in the following areas:

a) There is an urgent need to build greater awareness of the Indian scientific capability with various Public-Private research institutions in the United States. Whilst India is known as an outsourcing destination, we need to create greater appreciation of the higher skills that the Indian scientific community has demonstrated.

b) Along side there would be need to ensure closer interface between the public and private sector labs within our country and with corresponding organizations in the United States so that they could understand each other better and arrive at suitable joint research projects.

c) Issues of funding for such projects would also need to be looked into both in the US and in India. Mr Sibal has recently announced that he would endeavour to make available Government funds for such collaborative research projects in India. This is indeed a very welcome step and we look forward to concretize the details.

With these few words, may I once again welcome all of you to this Seminar and hope that concrete and constructive proposals will emerge which FICCI would help in carrying forward.

Thank you.