Indian R&D :The 3 Imperatives

The three imperatives of the Indian R&D are Packaging, Marketing & Selling. The rule of the hour is Market or Perish. Increased competition & sophistication of customers' requirement followed closely by technological advancement, have forced the R&D organizations in the country to rethink their approach. Moreoever, it has been rightly said "If you are not market savvy these days, you are out of the market."

Despite the best technology on vaccines, drugs or polymers, to name a few, Indian R&D organizations' efforts have been botched on an international scale. Undoubtedly they are rich in scientific expertise,and possess sufficient potential for knowledge creation, but they need orientation for market savoir-faire and competitiveness. These organizations are yet to create a high brand equity in the global scenario. As Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPOs) flourish, it is essential for our desiR&D organizations to realize that even the best of the ideas need to be attractively packaged and sold.Simply creation of knowledge is not the end...marketing of knowledge is equally important.

The modern market forces have changed the role of R&D from a isolated function to a more integrated one in the product development process. This facelift changed the emphasis from technology push to market pull and makes R&D a strategic issue that demands apposite alignment with all other components of corporate strategy. Post liberalized India has witnessed free foreign entries and investments resulting in superior quality of products (automobiles /electronics, etc). Therefore, there is an urgent need to take more initiative and increase brand value of Indian R&D institutions.Scientists should make wider use of ICTs, create suitable websites and modernize the technology itself. Despite the strong presence in NASA and renowned companies like Microsoft / IBM, India continues to lag behind in the field of inventions. Knowledge needs to be treated as an intellectual property or a marketable product and it has to be strategically sold. The R&D organization must not only invent but market it too.