There are great researchers in the country but the flow of free data is stifled, says Microsoft Research India's senior director at the IMR Doctoral Conference 2014
"India just spends 0.9% of GDP on Research and Development. We need to advance the research agenda by working in collaboration with academia, society and industry. Interdependence between these three is a must for any kind of research output," said Dr. Vidya Natampally, Senior Director of Strategy, Microsoft Research India, at the IMR Doctoral Conference on December 23, 2014 at IIMB.
Stating that India has just 140 researchers for every 10 lakhs of population, Dr. Natampally saw the need for a governing body to coordinate between the government, researchers and industry. "The National Science Foundation Research Engineering Centre is working on bridging gaps within research communities. Research is mainly done for a better society and to better the living conditions of inhabitants of an area. It would be good if the government empowered them with authority to play a more significant role."
Listing categories of research as blue sky research, innovative research, and applied research, she said: "Blue-sky research is something that is not even talked in India as government and NGOs control data. Innovative and Applied research are gaining ground but they are mainly product-centric, which means, data is mainly used for revenue generation. Such silos should go as research is for the community. Therefore, bridges need to be built."
She also called for more support, in terms of better stipends, better grants, better infrastructure and trained and competent faculty, to give research in India a boost.
There are great researchers in the country but the flow of free data is stifled, says Microsoft Research India's senior director at the IMR Doctoral Conference 2014
"India just spends 0.9% of GDP on Research and Development. We need to advance the research agenda by working in collaboration with academia, society and industry. Interdependence between these three is a must for any kind of research output," said Dr. Vidya Natampally, Senior Director of Strategy, Microsoft Research India, at the IMR Doctoral Conference on December 23, 2014 at IIMB.
Stating that India has just 140 researchers for every 10 lakhs of population, Dr. Natampally saw the need for a governing body to coordinate between the government, researchers and industry. "The National Science Foundation Research Engineering Centre is working on bridging gaps within research communities. Research is mainly done for a better society and to better the living conditions of inhabitants of an area. It would be good if the government empowered them with authority to play a more significant role."
Listing categories of research as blue sky research, innovative research, and applied research, she said: "Blue-sky research is something that is not even talked in India as government and NGOs control data. Innovative and Applied research are gaining ground but they are mainly product-centric, which means, data is mainly used for revenue generation. Such silos should go as research is for the community. Therefore, bridges need to be built."
She also called for more support, in terms of better stipends, better grants, better infrastructure and trained and competent faculty, to give research in India a boost.