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Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has called for stronger partnerships between industry, academia and research institutions to encourage Indian researchers, scientists and engineers working abroad to return and contribute to the country's growth, emphasising that an enabling ecosystem is as important as financial incentives.
Addressing Indian science and technology research students in Berlin, Germany, Goyal said the government would work with educational institutions, academia, leading research organisations and industry to understand the requirements of young researchers and create conditions that encourage them to work in India. "I have asked them to tell us what they will need in order to consider and how can we support more young researchers or our talented engineers and scientific community to come and work and serve in India," he said. Goyal said discussions had revealed that attracting talent was not solely about money, but also about the enabling environment and the support available within the research ecosystem. He said India had significant opportunities to assume global leadership in several technology areas, given its young population, skills and talent, and stressed the need to strengthen collaboration between industry and research institutions. The minister's remarks came during his visit to Berlin, where discussions focused on expanding India-Germany cooperation in technology, industrial partnerships and research and development. Goyal said his engagements with German research institutions and industrial innovation enterprises had highlighted the scope for taking research from laboratories to commercial applications. He identified power electronics, semiconductors, quantum computing, smart manufacturing, automobiles and auto components, batteries, logistics and agriculture as promising areas for collaboration. Highlighting the scale of Germany's research ecosystem, Goyal referred to the Fraunhofer institutes, which he said engaged around 22,000 scientists with a budget exceeding 2 billion euros. He also held discussions with several other research institutions during the visit. Goyal said German companies were increasingly viewing India not merely as a market but as a partner and a base for manufacturing, research and development, and innovation. "German precision and research and Indian scale and talent" could together create opportunities for innovation, manufacturing and investment, he said. The minister also highlighted the role of the Indian diaspora in strengthening economic and social ties between the two countries. He said Germany had around 330,000 people of Indian origin, besides nearly 60,000 to 70,000 students and friends. Goyal said the broader India-Germany partnership must translate into greater investment, industrial cooperation, research collaboration and opportunities for young people, contributing to India's ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Piyush Goyal is on an official visit to Germany from October 22 to 24, followed by a visit to the Netherlands from October 24 to 27.(ANI)
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