The success of the Indian industry is linked to its science sector, said C.N.R. Rao, Head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, urging the two sectors “to shake hands”.
“Countries such as Japan and South Korea, which are known for their industries, also happen to invest significantly in science,” he said, adding that “the Indian industry has not gone out of its way to partner with the science sector.”
Prof. Rao was speaking on Wednesday at an event organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Aluminium Association of India (Bangalore), to felicitate him for being recently conferred the Bharat Ratna.
In his six decades as a scientist in India, most of his research money came from the government, said Prof. Rao, who is also the founder of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
‘Not even five rupees’“I haven’t received even five rupees from the industry. I have even received $ 4 million from a Sheikh, but nothing from the Indian industry,” he said.
BCIC president M.V. Harish said it was “shameful” that 90 per cent of investment in research and development came from the government. While fundamental research should be the government’s focus, applied research should be the domain of the industry, he said.
