Need to produce high-end frontiers technology: Dr Anil Kakodkar

Aurangabad: “We should start production of high-end frontiers technology to sustain in the competitive era. A well-needed research and entrepreneurship, ecosystem, involving partnerships between academia, industry and Government is a critical necessity, for national security, and economic and social well-being,” said Dr Anil Kakodkar Padma Vibhusan and noted nuclear scientist of the country.

He was speaking at the first convocation ceremony of MGM University held on Sunday. Dr Anil Kakodkar said that in terms of knowledge creation, all should know that today India is in the third position globally in scientific publication record, perhaps the fastest growth rate, however, there is scope to improve further in quality and quantity.

“We have to cover, a much larger ground, in the context of value creation. Stanford University, whose alumni, and faculties have created 40,00 companies, that generate around 2.7 trillion US dollars in annual revenues. The number is around the size of the Indian economy as a whole. We need to create such an economic system in our universities. IIT Madras has taken initiative in this direction and many more should follow it,” he said.

The noted scientist said that there is a need to create world-class professionals in the practice of state of art technologies and contribute to the welfare of humankind while protecting the ecology and environment around.

He said that there is a need to ensure the inculcation of a deeper understanding of human values through association and practices, preferably related to the application in different specialised areas.

“Values to leverage acquired capability for overall human and nature’s benefit, without being exploited is the key to sustainable progress. Today’s era is dominated by high-end technologies, like semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, computing and telecom, clean energy, advanced aerospace and pharmaceutical. New knowledge frontiers like genetics, quantum physics, cognitive and brain sciences and others would start dominating. we need to quickly close the expanding gap between India and advancing countries, in emerging technologies,” Dr Kakodkar said.

He said that bridging the urban and rural divide is a matter of urgent necessity in our country.