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Kris Gopalakrishnan: India Must Turn Research into Products for Deep Tech

Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures and Co-Founder of Infosys, asserts that India must translate its academic research into tangible products and technology to build a robust deep tech ecosystem. He emphasizes the need for stronger collaboration between industry and academia, citing examples like research parks at IITs, to drive innovation and attract global capital. Gopalakrishnan links this technological advancement directly to India's long-term vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, stating that economic superiority follows technological superiority. He also highlights industry-led initiatives, such as a CII pilot program, that connect enterprises with startups to solve real-world challenges.

Key Points: India Needs Research-to-Product Shift for Deep Tech: Gopalakrishnan

  • Translate research into products
  • Build deep tech ecosystem
  • Strengthen industry-academia collaboration
  • Attract global capital for startups
2 min read

India has to translate research into products to build deep tech ecosystem: Kris Gopalakrishnan

Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan says India must build a deep tech ecosystem by translating research into products to achieve its 2047 developed nation goal.

"If India wants to become a developed nation... I strongly feel that economic superiority will come after technological and scientific superiority. - Kris Gopalakrishnan"

New Delhi, February 17

India needs to translate its research into tangible products and technology to develop a robust deep tech ecosystem and achieve its long-term goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures and Co-Founder of Infosys, said on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit.

Speaking to ANI, Gopalakrishnan said, "Looking at the challenge, we have to translate our research into products and technology. We don't have that kind of ecosystem and culture yet. We have small (a few) examples..."

He noted that deep tech startups are rooted in academic and laboratory research and stressed the need to create a supportive environment.

"Deep tech startups typically come from work done in our laboratories, our research labs, etc. So we have to create that ecosystem, we have to create that environment and if you do that, it will also attract capital from not just India but across the world. We are already starting to see Indian startups attracting foreign capital. More and more deep tech startups will also attract foreign capital," he said.

Gopalakrishnan emphasised that stronger collaboration between industry and academia is essential to drive innovation.

"We have to look at ways in which we can bring together industry and academia. One example is the research park at IIT Madras, where industry research is co-located with academic research. Similarly, in IIT Bombay, in IIT Delhi, et cetera, you see examples of more collaboration."

Highlighting industry-led initiatives, he added that the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is piloting an industry-connect program that brings existing enterprises together with startups.

"Enterprises share their problem statements, share their challenges, and we match startups to this. This program is run out of the Centre of Excellence on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups. That's another way to bring industry and startups together."

On artificial intelligence, he said, "AI's application in various sectors is very, very high."

Linking technological advancement with India's long-term development vision, Gopalakrishnan said, "If India wants to become a developed nation, we have an aspiration to become a developed nation by 2047, Viksit Bharat, right? I strongly feel that economic superiority will come after technological and scientific superiority. So I feel that the transition to product nation will come on top of our deep tech ecosystem."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is so true. We need to stop the brain drain. If we create the right ecosystem here, our researchers won't feel the need to go abroad to see their work become a reality. The CII program sounds promising! 🤞
R
Rohit P
While I agree with the vision, the practical challenges are huge. Academia in India is often focused on publishing papers, not building products. The incentive structure needs to change first. Industry collaboration is key, but who takes the first step and bears the initial risk?
S
Sarah B
Working in tech here, I see this gap daily. The CII's idea of enterprises sharing problem statements is brilliant. It gives startups a clear market need to solve, rather than building in a vacuum. Hope it scales up!
K
Karthik V
"Economic superiority will come after technological and scientific superiority." - This line hits hard. We've been a service nation for too long. Time to build a product nation. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 The 2047 goal is ambitious but possible with deep tech.
M
Michael C
Respectfully, I think the focus is a bit narrow. A deep tech ecosystem also needs a supportive legal framework for IP, easier regulations for startups, and patient capital. It's not just about industry-academia meetups. The government has a bigger role to play.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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