SRINAGAR: Emphasising that India never lacked talent but previously lacked policy support, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, on Monday said the country, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, is witnessing greater convergence between the public and private sectors.
Addressing a news conference, Dr Singh said, “In other countries, there is no hard demarcation between public and private sectors in scientific work. We have started moving in that direction.”
He said India has transformed into a global leader in science and technology over the past decade, driven by a political environment that has enabled scientific risk-taking and innovation. “The last 11 years have turned technology into the engine of India’s growth story. More importantly, we are no longer a technology follower but a technology leader.”
The Minister added that India is now setting global best practices in science and innovation rather than merely adopting them from abroad.
He attributed this transformation to a “supportive political dispensation” since 2014 that allowed scientists the freedom to experiment, even when success was not guaranteed.
“What a scientist needs most is the liberty to try, and that space was given to us by the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” he said, adding, “Opening up the space and nuclear sectors to private participation has encouraged global collaborations.” (KNO)
