Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Ramani, Shyama V.
Author-Email: ramani@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT, and Ecole Polytechnique Paris
Author-Name: Chowdhury, Nupur
Author-Email: nupurchow@gmail.com
Author-Workplace-Name: School of Management and Governance,
	 University of Twente
Author-Name: Coronini, Roger
Author-Email: Roger.Coronini@upmfgrenoble.fr
Author-Workplace-Name: Unit ESE, Université Pierre-Mendes
Author-Name: Reid, Susan
Author-Email: sreid@ubishops.ca
Author-Workplace-Name: Williams School of Business, Bishop's University
Title: On India's plunge into Nanotechnology: What are good ways to catch-up?
Abstract:  The present paper examines how a developing country like India is 
	 competing in the nanotechnology race. Our study shows that both upstream 
	 scientific and technological capabilities and downstream regulatory 
	 capabilities are being strengthened. India has clearly made a dent in 
	 terms of scientific publications (with the main focus being on 
	 nanomaterials), in the "technology market" its patenting performance 
	 (with the principle focus on nanopolymers and nanocatalysts) though not 
	 extraordinary is good compared to other emerging economies spending 
	 similar amounts. In the "final products" market some biotech and ICT 
	 incumbents are moving towards nano but the bulk of the new firms are in 
	 the field of nanomaterials. These achievements are particularly 
	 noteworthy given the much smaller quantity of funds invested by the 
	 Indian State as compared to the international leaders in nanotechnology. 
	 However, even with these initial optimistic results, the paper casts 
	 doubt on whether it is in the interests of economic growth or social 
	 welfare that India's science and innovation, and intellectual property 
	 policies are being increasingly modeled on the lines of developed 
	 countries so as to attempt to compete or collaborate with them without a 
	 better re-alignment and functioning of existing capabilities.
Classification-JEL: O14, O31, O33, O38
Keywords: Catch-up, India, new technologies, nanoscience, nanotechnology, innovation,
	economic development, developing countries
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 2011
Number: 020
File-URL: http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2011/wp2011-020.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2011020