SNU hosts GTIPA talks to discuss India as an innovation hub

The Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance (GTIPA) Summit 2024, hosted by Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, in collaboration with the Institute for Competitiveness, took place on November 15-16, 2024. Centred on the theme "India - Innovation Hub of Tomorrow," the event featured keynote speeches, interactive sessions, and panel discussions addressing the challenges and opportunities in technology and innovation policy.

Over two days, five-panel discussions explored key topics: India’s evolving role in semiconductors, fostering innovation at the state and regional levels, driving innovation in life sciences and healthcare delivery, strategies to bridge the digital divide, and commercializing technology while navigating legal landscapes.

The distinguished panellists included Dr. Hemang Shah (Sr. Director, Government Affairs, Applied Materials India), Rajeev Khushu (Director, Corporate Affairs, Texas Instruments), Pranjal Sharma (Economic Analyst and Author), Sean Randolph (Sr. Director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute), and moderators like Amit Kapoor (Honorary Chairman, Institute for Competitiveness) and Dr. Carlos Felipe Escobar (Higher Education/Health Innovation Consultant). Other experts such as Mark Schultz (Professor, University of Akron School of Law), Ankur Mutreja (Director – Strategy, PATH), and Małgorzata Bonikowska (Co-Founder, THINKTANK) also contributed to the discussions.

Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), highlighted India’s burgeoning deep-tech ecosystem during his interaction, emphasizing that "out of 140,000 startups, approximately 10,000 are focused on deep tech sectors like AI, semiconductors, and quantum technologies." He noted significant progress, including the ministry's funding of over 700 deep-tech startups in the past 3-4 years, and a paradigm shift in the innovation ecosystem, with 95% of graduates now choosing to stay and contribute within India.

Stephen Ezell, Vice President of Global Innovation Policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, described the GTIPA as a network of over 50 think tanks from 35 countries, united in the belief that trade, globalization, and innovation based on market principles can maximize global welfare. In his remarks, he encouraged learning, collaboration, and networking among attendees.

Professor Rajat Kathuria, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Shiv Nadar University, underscored the pivotal role of technology in achieving India’s aspirations of becoming a multi-trillion-dollar economy. He noted, "Technology and innovation are essential to sustaining growth rates of 7% or more and reaching milestones like a $10 trillion economy."

Keynote addresses were delivered by Montek Singh Ahluwalia (former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission), Richard Dasher (Director, US-ATMC, Stanford University), John Cabeca (US IP Counsellor for South Asia), and Reema Nanavaty (Director, SEWA).

The summit also featured the presentation of the 2024 US-India Subnational Innovation Competitiveness Index Report and the 2024 GTIPA Crowd-Sourced Report on Policies to Bridge the Global Digital Divide. Plans for the 2025 GTIPA Summit in Argentina were also discussed.