-Eminent panelists and delegates across the public and private domain deliberated on the
theme
-A study titled “Promoting Innovation through PPP: An Assessment of SBIRI and BIPP Programmes” was unveiled by Dr. T Ramasami, Honourable Secretary, DST, GOI and Professor K. Vijay Raghavan Secretary, DBT, GOI
-The seminar is part of the ongoing Policy Research Initiatives of Wadhwani Foundation
19 February 2014, New Delhi: Wadhwani Foundation – an initiative of Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, a
U.S. based philanthropist towards accelerating the country’s economic growth through large scale, high impact entrepreneurship and skill development programmes, today unveiled a study titled “Promoting Innovation through PPP – An assessment of SBIRI & BIPP Programmes”. The study was released jointly by Dr. T Ramasami, Honorable Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, GOI and Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, Honorable Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, GOI at a seminar held at The Claridges Hotel, New Delhi.
Over the past two decades, a plethora of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programmes in technology and innovation development has emerged in India. However there is a lack of independent impact assessments of these programmes. This study by Wadhwani Foundation’s Policy Research Centre is an effort to review the implementation of PPP model in innovation, with a special focus on the Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) and Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP) of the Department of Biotechnology. The study also analyzed the contributions of the programme to knowledge creation & identify challenges in their implementation. The study offered a set of recommendations to help policy makers further improve and scale up the programmes to fully capture their potential.
Dr. T Ramasami, the Chief Guest of the seminar in his key note address hailed the move of Wadhwani Foundation’s Policy initiative for commissioning the study and its key outcomes. The findings of the study was presented by Dr Aradhna Aggarwal, Director Policy Research Centre, Wadhwani Foundation, in the session chaired by Dr. K. Vijay Raghavan.
Speaking on various policy initiatives of Wadhwani Foundation in his opening remarks, Ajay Kela, President & CEO, Wadhwani Foundation said that “The Foundation’s Policy Research Centre aims to brings excellence in policy research providing research inputs for informed policy making with the objective to create a people-centered, high growth economic acceleration. The foundation has a dedicated team of specialists, currently focusing on three distinct programs – R&D and Innovations, SMEs & Entrepreneurship and Employment & Skills. The Foundation has also established a India-U.S. Policy Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a leading policy think-tank based in Washington DC and a parallel program at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi.”
He further added “It is now widely believed that a thriving, innovative and entrepreneurship driven MSME sector is a pivotal element in the process of economic growth and job creation. We trust this study by our Policy Research Centre would open up deliberations thereby seizing opportunities and effectively overcome challenges in promoting innovations among MSME.”
The seminar brought together high profile panelist and delegates across the public and private domain including policy makers, government agencies, researchers, the business community and academics to discuss & deliberate on the study to promote innovation in MSME within PPP framework. Some of the key speakers & panelists were Shri. Ajay Shankar, Member Secretary, NMCC; Shri. Ashwani Gupta, Scientist G, DSIR; Ms. Susan K Finston, CEO, Amrita Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Purnima Sharma, CEO BCIL; Dr. P. Banerjee, Director, CSIR- NISTADS; Shri Samarendra Sahu, Additional Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME; Dr. Krishna Kumar, ED, IL&FS; and Dr Rajiv Kumar, Senior Fellow – Policy Research Centre.
Wadhwani Foundation Policy Research Centre is part of Dr Romesh Wadhwani’s vision for a large-scale, high-impact social change through economic acceleration. The primary mission of the Foundation is to leverage India’s growing human potential by combining best-in-class workforce development programs, educational technology, inclusivity and policy research.
The Wadhwani Foundation has also established a India-U.S. Policy Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a leading policy think-tank based in Washington DC and a parallel program at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi.
About Wadhwani Foundation:
Founded in 2003 by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, an IIT-‐Bombay alumnus with an M.S and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and an IT entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, California. Romesh is the Founder-Chairman of the $3 billion Symphony Technology Group. The Wadhwani Foundation is a not-for-profit organization focusing on high impact, niche activities leading to accelerated economic development. Its mission is to help individuals achieve their full potential, regardless of their background.
The Foundation, which does not invest in for-profit business opportunities currently works in India on five specific initiatives:
•NEN: With the help of its National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), the Foundation facilitated the setting up of over 700 companies in fiscal 2012-‐2013. Over 500 institutes work with NEN and reach over 500,000 students every year. 100,000 students join the Wadhwani Foundation Entrepreneur Cell on campus every year
•SDN : Through Skill Development Network (SDN), the Foundation trained 5000 students in Haryana. This year, the target is to scale operations to 250 schools and reach 40,000 students across multiple states. The National framework for VTE and 200 CC pilots have been passed by the Cabinet
•ODN: Opportunity Network for Disabled has trained and placed 7000 PwD in corporate jobs.
Over 100 Corporates and 500 HR and Business managers have been sensitized. Several Government organizations, Corporate Training and Private Trainers have been mobilized to recruit and train PwD to achieve the set goal of 100,000
•RIN: Research and Innovation Network was initiated in 2009 at IIT Mumbai. In 2012, this was followed by the ShantaWadhwani Research Center at NCBS. Across both these centers, over 40 investigators and over 150 PhD. and post-‐doctorate scholars have been engaged in targeted cancer, cardiac and neural research
•India-‐US Policy: The Wadhwani Foundation has established parallel Chairs mandated to focus on improving Indo-‐US bilateral Relations, both at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington DC and at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi