Harvard Professor Highlights Critical Role of Science Investment in India's Development Path to Viksit Bharat 2047

Significant scientific investment is essential for achieving developed nation status, according to Harvard professor Tarun Khanna, who shared insights on India's Viksit Bharat 2047 ambition.

Currently allocating approximately 0.7 percent of GDP to scientific research, India needs to increase this investment two to three times to compete with nations like the United States and China, Khanna explained.

"India's path to developed country status requires a dramatic increase in local science and technology investment," stated Khanna, the Jorge Paulo Lemann professor at Harvard Business School, during his exclusive NDTV interview.

While India has recently advanced to lower-middle-income status, Khanna cautioned this represents merely the initial step in a challenging journey ahead. He stressed that both spending quality and quantity matter significantly. "We must reconsider and experiment with funding allocation methods," he advised, encouraging policymakers to embrace innovative and bold funding approaches.

Speaking optimistically, Khanna predicted, "Our society will reach consensus on science's importance. We'll discover improved spending methodologies through experimentation. We'll find the courage to invest more substantially without fearing failure."

Khanna commended Indian scientific institutions, particularly ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), describing it as "an island of excellence." He mentioned authoring a Harvard case study about ISRO over ten years ago and expressed admiration for its development, especially regarding satellite innovation.

He also highlighted other exceptional institutions like the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), suggesting India should learn from these examples. "We should analyze these successes and failures. A national seminar examining potential 'excellence islands' would be a straightforward yet productive exercise," he proposed.

When questioned about discovering future brilliant minds comparable to Nobel Laureate CV Raman or mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, Professor Khanna responded confidently, "The majority of our talent remains underutilized. This applies to India and virtually every nation."

As co-founder of Boston's Aspire Institute, which supports first-generation college students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Khanna noted, "Globally, between half a billion and one billion young people have untapped potential. Among them are future S Ramanujans, M S Swaminathans, and S Somanaths."

Professor Khanna believes innovative education and mentorship models are crucial for unleashing this dormant talent. "Enhancing their potential by even a small percentage would create extraordinary systemic effects," he remarked.

"We should aspire not merely for jobs but for callings," he concluded. "That's when work transforms from obligation into joy."