To compete globally, research a must: Mashelkar
sandesh prabhudesai, panaji | 21 October 1997 23:31 IST
Investing consciously in the production-oriented research programmes and projects is the only way out for the Indian investors to compete in the global market, feels Dr R A Mashelkar, director general of centre for scientific investigations and research.
He also stressed upon the need to update our professional knowledge of getting patents, copyrights and designs, in order to sustain in the world market, while presiding over a two-day 32nd Marathi Vigyan Sammelan held here.
Despite making remarkable progress in rice production, milk production and even space research, he feels that not combining science with commerce, unlike developed countries, has remained our major weakness.
Dr Mashelkar has thus appealed to the businessmen to face the challenge by adopting a scientific approach towards market economy, whereas scientists and researchers should consciously divert their efforts towards country's economic growth.
Besides modernising the private laboratories and concentrating more on research projects, the CSIR chief has also appealed to the Indian business community to initiate a dialogue with the state-owned national laboratories. "knowledge is creator of wealth", he asserts.
While referring to his victory over the American firm regarding the patent of turmeric, Dr Mashelkar also suggests planned programmes and projects on scientific lines to protect world rights over our rich heritage of Ayurveda and herbal medicines.
Identifying medical components and chemicals in the herbal medicines through research and providing them legal security through patents would strengthen India's position in the global market. Even if all components are not known, we can take product patents by finding out the chemical formations, he states.
Followed by CSIR, Luknow's discovery of a component in herbal medicine which increases power of memory, Mashelkar discloses that the regional laboratory of CSIR in Jammu has discovered one bio-enhancer which enhances medicinal efficacy.
The medicine, which provides for only half of a dose of any other medicine, will be marketed by Cadila company. It would help economically as well as in terms of having any side effects of these other medicines.
