Dr. Aravind Chinchure, General Manager, Innovations at Reliance Innovation Leadership Centre was in Kolkata on Sunday evening (June 26, 2011) as he spoke on "Reinventing India: Creating wealth out of Knowledge". He illustrated that how India is changing from a learner to an innovator in his lecture.IBNS correspondent Supriyo Hazra caught up with him in quick chat on a number of issues. Excerpts:


India is becoming a innovator now rather than a learner as you said in your lecture. How is this change of perception taking place?

The biggest change was telecom. It was a revolution. Before that the biggest event in the history of India was that which occurred exactly 20 years before in 1991 when the Indian economy was liberalized.It brought competition and made us compete. Earlier competition was less due to 'license raj'.When there is no competition we could not be creative, I mean we were creative but we did not know how to use it. Then survival factor was playing another important role.Earlier we did not have so much information but now with internet we have access to lots of information. TV came and the access to information changed the world,It is the culmination of everything  that helped to create knowledge economy. Today what we need is idea.

The young stars are now starting their own business and even succeeding in that. Is this the heart of the change?

Young stars doping and shaping ideas is a big thing. When some one failed we did not accept that. The society had adopted this thought.They used to fail and stopped taking risk. Bit the young stars now feel that if we fail we may come up with new ideas so failing is not dampening them.Even society and parents have accepted. They can now accept the failure of their children.On the other hand the children feel that we are not looking for a job.If we fail we will come up with a new idea.So society is changing and competition is coming.

So when do you perceive India will finally emerge as the champion?

We have just begun. We are ready and about to take off. It is not my prediction but others
and in fact US President Barrack Obama also feels that India is developing significantly. So the way India is progressing in 15 to 20 years we will see a changed India.

Do you feel that the upcoming generation of India has the potential to continue this legacy of progress as far as the innovation and bringing in wealth from other knowledge in various industries are concerned?

Our system has lots of limitations as we are in the place of transition.The young stars of cities are different. But i have seen that in smaller towns the children are not so aware.One thing the National Innovation Council is trying to do is tab that potential also. The philosophy one is trying to look is that there are suppose there are 1.2 billion minds and experts are thinking how to exploit them than see  id there is 1.2 billion minds to feed them, then it is not going to work. So there is a debate between India and Bharat where Bharat has still not progressed in many ways. But even in rural areas the things are changing though the percentage is very small. So there is effort from the individual, government and corporate to bridge the gaps.I feel the biggest change that is going to come is 4G. That will revolutionize the entire education system and even health.So the challenge will be on the development of technology. I think we need to go long way and we at the same time need to speed up our efforts.

With this regard which is the country that India is competing at present, is it China, US or any other nation?

I have not heard from the people of the industry that we are competing with others but we think we are competing with our selves.We know we can do this. the access f information and knowledge is a vital factor.  Earlier there were no role models. But now Indians have few role models who are driving us.Moreover a survey has shown that Indian society is the most aspiration society and that is also driving us.Now there are so many corporate that supports talent and young stars. All these factors are bringing changes.I have not heard that we are competing with China or US. I feel both the nations have strengths and both will continue to grow.unless our government and industry do not provide a basic system required to grow and there are communal or other issues that restraint our growth. But people now understand who is right and wrong. So it is we who are competing with our selves.