India top destination for innovation, R&D: African leaders

India top destination for innovation, R&D: African leaders

Representatives from African countries expressed hope that Indian innovations can provide scope for setting up businesses in the region through an institutional mechanism.

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India can play a critical role in building an innovation led entrepreneurial culture in Africa and fuel economic growth in the region, African leaders said. “India has great inspiring entrepreneurs like Tatas, Ambanis, and the Adanis. As a result, India is today seen as a top destination for innovation, R&D and technology development,” said Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry Ekwow Spio-Garbrah. The minister was addressing the India Africa Business Forum on ‘Empowering Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Africa by leveraging Indian Innovation, Science and Technology’ in New Delhi on Thursday. The event was held on the sidelines of the four-day India-Africa Forum Summit. Describing India as “a top destination for innovation, R&D and technology development”, leaders at the forum were of the view that “Indian innovations can be transferred to African entrepreneurs and set-up businesses around the transferred innovations through an institutional mechanism”. In view of various similar challenges faced by both sides, the Indian model that seeks a balance between discovery science and applied science and reaches out innovation to large sections of the population was best suited for Africa, said, Arabinda Mitra, Adviser and Head, International Cooperation (Bilateral), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. The Economic Advisor of the Namibian president, John Steytler, said that the “New Africa” was ready to innovate and it now has systems and institutions in place that act as a fertile breeding ground for innovations to flourish. However, the official raised concern over key challenges in terms of skill deficit, particularly on the technical front. During the 3rd India Africa Summit which concluded on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sought Africa’s cooperation in the coming Ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  

October 30, 2015 | 2:41pm IST.   

The Dollar Business Bureau - Oct 30, 2015 12:00 IST