Late Extra: Cashing in on Indian human resources

Over the past three decades, the debate on whether the export of Indian expertise is a bane or boon has surfaced sporadically. During that period those calling for a halt on the so-called 'brain drain' had to beat a hasty retreat because of lack of adequate foreign exchange reserves.

Just three years into the new millennium, India has been able to shed its fear of flight of capital blessed with a more than robust foreign exchange reserves.

There is a new mood in India. An air of confidence about the economic status of the country is palpable. Media throughout the country is raving about how well the Indian economy is doing.

The fact is that even the curbs now being imposed in various countries on the import of Indian technology experts as well as other areas in which India has a wealth of expertise is not really bothering either the government or the people at large.

Encouraged by the high quality of Indian students finishing their chosen courses in engineering or medicine to management has prompted the government to increase the number of quality institutions to ease the pressure for admission in those presently in existence.

The Prime Minister at a recent function at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur announced that another five such institutes would be set up soon.

All that is good news for Indian students. The bad news is that most feel that having acquired the knowledge and skills they have to seek employment outside the country in order to progress.

Seeking opportunities

The sad part is that this section is not seeking opportunities abroad just for monetary gain but for gaining access to research and development facilities. And eventually see their research generated prototypes bloom into functional applications and equipment.

This aspect of the scientist's plight was highlighted in a news item published in the Hindustan Times, Lucknow, on October 5. The news item listed just a few innovations, which emerged through research at the laboratories of the IIT, Kanpur. I am sure there must be dozens of such stories, which the four other IIT's in India could boast of.

The Kanpur report highlights just a few which have proven practical use but these technological innovations have found no takers because of the lack of funds for publicity and capital to manufacture those either by the government or private enterprise.

Impressive list

The list is impressive. The inventions include a light-weight speech synthesiser for the deaf and dumb and reproduce normal human voice instead of a robotic drone.

Then software has been developed which can link a hospital to villages within a five-kilometre radius enabling the village general practitioner to transmit medical data including an electrocardiogram and seek expert advice.

Another scientist has developed a cost effective technology for cleaning contaminated soil, which would be of immense use to farmers.

Whether the contamination is caused by chemical fertilisers overdose or an effluent discharge, the technology would enable the farmer to reclaim soil fertility within months. There are many more but they hibernating in laboratory archives.

It is this human capital, which is going to waste in India, and the authorities have to address the issue speedily in order to ensure that technology developed in the country is patented, manufactured and marketed as Made in India.

It would indeed be ironic if the scientists have to go to other countries with their innovations and those inventions are then sold back to India with a Made in XYZ sticker. Such exports could be another way of earning forex apart from the normal remittances.

The author is an Indian-based journalist