Amity Foundation for Science, Technology & Innovation Advancement (AFSTIA), Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP), Noida and the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad under the aegis of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, jointly organized a Workshop on “Science & Technology (S&T) Interventions for Import Substitution in Electronics & Semiconductors, Aviation & Maritime and Industrial Machinery & Automation Sectors” - 2nd Edition.
The workshop was aimed to yield concrete results that will significantly contribute to India's self-reliance objectives, a refined understanding of India's current and projected technological import liabilities, identifying critical areas for intervention. It will also help in clear identification of specific high-tech products and sectors where import substitution is feasible in the short and long term.
Inaugurating the workshop, Lt Gen Rakesh Kapoor, retired Vice Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination), Indian Army, said, “The workshop is happening at the most opportune time. Many countries are spending 4 to 5 percent of their GDP on research and development, so we will not be able to move forward t by spending only 1 percent on R&D. R&D is not possible only by the Government, it also requires the participation of the private sector in a big way and the private sector will have to put in more efforts for technology development. India is the country with the highest data production, so AI, machine learning, robotics, quantum computing are important domains for us. We must harness human capital for innovation and the youth must take the lead to make India a technology leader in the world.”
Sharing the key findings of the First edition of the Workshop, Dr Karnak Roy, Centre for Management Studies, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, said , "The role of science and technology in reducing the country's imports, increasing strategic tech imports in electronic aviation and machinery, and reducing the increasing import bill due to economic burden, is extremely crucial, in making India self-reliant. Electronics & Semiconductors, Aviation & Maritime and Industrial Machinery & Automation Sectors are the most important sectors of our country and only when research will be fostered and path breaking innovations will be developed, our country will become a scientifically developed and a world leader in science and technology. "
Shri Sudhir Kumar Marwaha, CTO, National Mission On Electronics & Semiconductors, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said, "Today, many countries are spending 4 to 5 percent of their GDP on research and development, in such a scenario, India will not be able to develop fast by spending just 1 percent on R&D. Research and development is not possible only by the government but the participation of private sector is also important. At present India is the country with the highest data generation, therefore, AI, Machine Learning, Robotics, Quantum Computing are the areas which need greater thrust by both the government and private sector. Human Capital must be used for research and innovation and the youth of the country must take the lead and become the frontrunners of technology to contribute to making India a developed country."
Dr Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, stated, “The Workshop will be highly beneficial since India’s semiconductor push is gaining momentum by the government. India’s technological imports especially in the areas of Electronics & Semiconductors, Aviation & Maritime and Industrial Machinery & Automation, have grown sharply in recent years, contributing significantly to the national trade deficit. Under DSIR’s funding scheme of Access2Knowledge, ASCI is conducting a comprehensive study on Science & Technology Interventions for import Substitutions and potential avenues leading to a self-reliant nation in the above-mentioned sectors.”
Highlighting the significance of the Workshop, Dr. B.K. Murthy, Amity Foundation for Science, Technology & Innovation Alliances (AFSTIA), said, “India's economic trajectory is marked by a significant increase in imports, reaching USD 677.24 billion in FY 2023-24, more than exports of USD 437.10 billion. This has resulted in a negative trade balance of USD 78.12 billion (approximately ₹6,40,608 crores). Much of this negative trade balance is due to technological products. To address this growing deficit and enhance economic resilience, the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), under the aegis of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), is undertaking a comprehensive study on India's technological import liabilities and developing methodologies for Science and Technology (S&T) interventions in import substitution. As part of this study, a workshop was planned in Hyderabad, to bring together key stakeholders to discuss preliminary findings and collaboratively strategize actionable pathways for S&T-led import substitution. A follow-up workshop is planned in collaboration with Amity University, Noida, to validate the findings of the secondary research and previous workshop.”
During the Workshop, Panel Discussions on “S&T Interventions for Import Substitutions in Electronics & Semi-Conductors”, “S&T Intervention for Import Substitution in Aviation & Maritime”, and “S&T Intervention for Import Substitution in Industrial Machinery & Automation”, were also organized.