India: A sea of talent with few innovations

India: A sea of talent with few innovations

Introduction

India has the most talented minds when it comes to fields such as sports, economics, literature, commerce, law, social activism, science and academics. We are blessed with one of the largest young populations in the world. Apart from being the third largest Asian economy, India is also a leader when it comes to democracy. India has a rich cultural heritage and scholars in ancient India were revered for their wisdom and sagacity. India also has tremendous talent when it comes to fields such as cinema and entertainment. Innovation is something we lack, though. Most of the brilliant minds in India choose to go abroad due to the differences in living standards and access to opportunities.

Viewpoint

• Indian scientists and academicians are not given their due in this country. In a land where sages were respected for their knowledge, India’s professors and lecturers have to face infrastructural inadequacies and meagre salaries. Approval for teaching posts is not given in time and students are often left in a lurch. The Indian educational system suffers from a lack of ability to innovate and advance to meet the challenges of the present century. Indian researchers and scientists prefer to take jobs in foreign countries because they are not given enough incentives to work in India. Due to this reason, Indian innovations are few and far between.

• The government spends a huge amount on providing subsidized education in fields such as medicine, law, engineering and technology. Students take advantage of the system and use their qualifications to land cushy jobs abroad rather than trying to work for the betterment of the nation. There is mass exodus of IIT students to countries like US and the UK simply because they want to get a better job and live in more advanced nations. Innovation may be born in India, but it is patented in the US and other developed countries.

• Indian public is faced with an outmoded education system that does not encourage students to acquire critical thinking skills. Mugging textbooks and attending coaching classes have become the trend. Students are no longer given the freedom to learn at their own pace and think out of the box. Parents are constantly on the lookout for pushing children into safe occupations rather than encouraging them to innovate and become entrepreneurs or leaders.

• The Indian mindset is to encourage people to follow rules rather than discover new solutions. Everywhere from administration to management, there are strict procedures for every project and no one can come up with new ideas. Proposing innovative solutions is seen as an opposition to the existing establishment. In such a scenario, it becomes enormously difficult to have the courage to innovate.

• India may be a sea of talent, but it is also a land of fewer opportunities compared to advanced Scandinavian nations or the US. Business clearances and permissions take a long time to fructify and the system is so badly plagued with bribery and graft that it can be days before a single file reaches the authorities. When it comes to start-ups, funding is a problem. Indian companies that attract foreign funding are generally the ones who can develop and sustain innovation in production and manufacturing.

Conclusion

India has a long way to go before it can catch up with the talented people that are born here. Radical thinkers are not appreciated for their ideas and the aim is to try and stick to what is considered safe simply because it is viable. People need to step out and challenge themselves a little more. The system needs to change for the better. While all parties in India continue to promise positive change, the question remains as to who will actually deliver it.