Academic Research and Commercialization of Ip – Should There Be Firewalls or Smooth Transition in a “Mind to Market” Approach?

Dear Reader, The ultimate goal of Research and Innovation should be to make a difference to human life, be it for environmental care, healthcare or improving standard of life of communities and nature at large. In the fifties and sixties after independence, India had set up academic research institutes under DST, CSIR, ICAR and others. These were well-intended long-term goals for National scientific progress. Later, during the wars with China and Pakistan and the blacklisting of India post-Pokhran Nuclear Test in 1974 by India, there was blockage and blacklisting against India by USA and allies which led the then PM, Indira Gandhi led Indian Government to redirect Indian Research Laboratories to take up applied and commercial research to meet National needs, import-substitution and self-reliance.