Delhi: An Independent India laid out an ambitious and brave plan in 1947 for its advancement in technology. As we celebrate the 73rd year of Independence and we also look forward to sending an Indian to the moon and finding the vaccine for COVID-19.
The country has many exploits in technology to the credits. A few have stood out amongst the many of those achievements. India in 2020, has yet again embarked upon realizing the proverb—‘There is an opportunity in every challenge.’
It did so when India faced the food shortage immediately after Independence. The use of agro-tech ushered in the ‘Green Revolution,’ the result is, India today boasts of the highest food production. It improved crop production, seed development, irrigation, water management, food processing, and agri-management.
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Statistics reflect economic growth, not real growth, and numbers are mostly, like the twinkling stars in the sky. Do we count, whatever number is told to us?
But technology has empirical evidence to prove that quality and quantity both have improved. The ‘White Revolution’ is an example of that. The technology improved milk production and the emergence of milk-based products. It attracted the private sector.
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The segments that witnessed technological advancements during more than seven decades, since Independence, helped India leapfrog over other countries. Both in terms of industrialization and economic growth.
Agri to Aeronautics, Energy to Electronics, Plastics to Pharma, Soil to Space, Textile to Telecom—there is no sector, where India has not made advancement in the technology required for its growth.
India became a self-reliant nation, post-independence because the new government initiated the process of nation-building through the establishment of the various institute of science and technology. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to revisit both the advancement of technology and to become more self-reliant.
In telecom technology, India began with Param and today can boast of indigenous 5G technology. As mentioned earlier, technology-supported by the private sector is the perfect script for India. The Indian companies with its 5G technology have demonstrated that technological advancements need not necessarily depend only on foreign aid and support.
Scientists like Abdul Kalam and Raja Ramanna helped India showcase its technological prowess in missile technology. Many unknown scientists and researchers have taken forward the dream of Vikram Sarabhai. The day India can send its citizen to the moon, will usher in a new era in the technological advancement for many sectors in India.
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India is a leader in milk production but not in the export of milk products. Right technology with the required policy can bring about the change: Post-Independence, the country invested in developing the human resource to help the growth of technology. The establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in 1951, was the first step to meet the requirements of various technology-based firms and industries.
As we prepare to celebrate the 75 years of Independence, in two years from today, every small technological advancement since 1947, should be an inspiration. India’s journey to achieve ‘atmanirbhar’ should not be a slogan, but a war cry, and that is possible with the advancement we make in technology.
