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Should India Innovate, or Imitate?

Techtree News Staff, Nov 11, 2007 2321 hrs IST

India and China may each aspire to leap-frog to the front of the technological pack. But there's nothing wrong with piggy-backing on foreign inventions.

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In a special report in last week's 'Economist', Simon Cox explains that while India and China may have made clever use of foreign technology -- assembling it, copying it, servicing it, and customising it -- too much remains to be created by their firms for them to rival that technology.

He adds however that while 'techno-nationalists' may worry over this, economists will find much to applaud.

Cox argues that India does not need to focus on invention per se in order to flourish. That instead, if the country gainfully absorbs, assimilates, and uses the technology available, it can transform itself as China's done.

Cox explains, "Indian and Chinese firms have a comparative advantage in finding new uses for existing technologies, and combining them in novel ways. This kind of 'architectural innovation' may be scientifically modest, but it can nonetheless be commercially significant."

The report goes on to say that while India and China may cherish the idea of pushing the limits of technology, invention is by itself risky, costly, and frustrating. Whereas, imitation, has a lot going for it.

The report asserts that India and China have more to gain from the adoption and assimilation of technology than from invention. As such, the most urgent task for the two countries is to make wider use of know-how that already exists.

USER COMMENTS

I wonder why Simon Cox thinks innovation is good for the western world ? Perhaps he feels threatened.

by Cynic, Delhi, on Nov 24, 2007 01:10 PM, Report abuse Reply

India needs to balance Innovate And Imitate in order to make net effective benefit. The leading Corporate Business Mgmt Guru's are the only that can decide how , when and Where and what to Innovate, or Imitate.

by Anonymous, Pune, on Nov 13, 2007 10:26 PM, Report abuse Reply

need more infrastructure and money here, so that our innovators dont run off to silicon valley and innovate for the US brands (which is whats happening)

by dEEPS, Chennai, on Nov 12, 2007 11:53 AM, Report abuse Reply

its very good

by P Prabhakara Ch, Hyderabad, on Nov 12, 2007 09:30 AM, Report abuse Reply

india should innovate not imitate bahut ho gaya imitation now its high time for india to do something of its own else it will b looked down upon by d stronger countries

by Ananya Kar, Bhubaneswar, on Nov 12, 2007 09:23 AM, Report abuse Reply

Only copycats!

by Ankur, Vadodara, on Nov 12, 2007 08:52 AM, Report abuse Reply