What India misses, technologically

[As is always in any blog, the opinions expressed here are the blogger's (my!) personal opinions, and need not be correct.]

Renowned scientist CNR Rao once rightfully commented that 'India missed the semiconductor revolution'. What does it mean ? And why is it worth writing about at all ?

Well, India - as of now- does near state-of-the-art research in several key areas of science and technology including biosciences/biochemistry, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, drug/pharmacy sciences, mathematics & physics and not to speak of computer sciences. To my knowledge, in these areas, India stands almost at par with top institutes in the world in terms of cutting-edge research. For example, places like NCBS and TIFR carry out seminal work in several key areas of biosciences; JNCASR has top-class computational experts in material sciences; the erstwhile grad students at IIT-Kanpur came out with the path-breaking AKS algorithm (computer sciences) which shook places like MIT and Berkeley. Government labs like DRDO and BARC also must have state-of-the-art technology too I believe, for, the propulsion system and all other mechanical/chemical/computer systems required for the launch of Agni-V recently, were indigenous - made in India.

While we basked in the glory of the launch of an indigenous ICBM Agni-V, very few people knew or realized that, the precision guidance system of the missile - the electronics component - is still either American or Russian technology! How does it sound? So, in case of a war (God forbids - no war, ever, please !!), India has to rely on an another country for the technology to guide the missile precisely! And it is of course because 'India missed the semiconductor revolution' ! Simple. 

Forget war.. war/battles are sick things to talk about when we talk about technology. Let me put it this way - although every discipline of science and technology have become increasingly inter-disciplinary and twisted with each other and although all disciplines depend on each other, yet, should it be an exaggeration to say that the electronics technology has permeated deeper in to the fabric of daily life as well as overall technological life compared to all other technologies and sciences ? <Pause>..Ok. No branch of science/technology can exist without others. Electronics too needs to depend on all other different areas of technology to survive and progress. Research in areas like drugs for fighting cancer, genetic diseases; or hydrogen fuel cell, etc. are equally vital, may be more critical to survival of humanity. Discoveries such as double helix of DNA or invention of internet are simply unparalleled achievements in non-electronics areas, I admit. I am of course a little biased, but, let's admit it - mere survival in any discipline of science/technology now, simply depends on that damn thing called 'computer'. Let's forget the ubiquitous cell phones and PDAs like iPads etc., let's forget the critical uses of LASER technology, LEDs, solar cells, etc. where semiconductor is the driving technology, let's talk of only computer - faster, cheaper, more powerful computers that are hitting market every day. Computers which help launch satellites or missiles, computers which help medical research - everything is simply semiconductor! Silicon has been the most dominant of all semiconductors, but there are so many other types of semiconductors too which are contributing critically to technology in general. You take semiconductors out of the world, and immediately the entire fort of human achievements in current times simply crumbles down. 

Sadly, India is not a part of this semiconductor technology. India has not contributed towards building the pillar of electronics revolutions. We missed it. Let's admit it. And as long as we depend on Russia or USA for electronics/semiconductor technology, we are never going to compete the superpowers, we are never going to compete China, we are never going to be 100% indigenous in spite of our leaders' and scientists' tall claims. 

There is no commercial lab that fabricates electronic devices. Sure there are groups who do theory and simulation, but what we need desperately is experimental labs in universities and government sponsored institutes, where cutting-edge work needs to be done in making electronic devices. We need more motivation in this area. We need to make transistors, LEDs and LASERs which are truly state-of-the-art that can compete with those made in USA or Japan. Mere publishing papers regularly in some journals about modeling and simulation of new devices is NOT going to take India further. India has the money - it's very obvious. Money is poured into research in recent times, with professors in various key institutes getting tens of crores of rupees in funding. We have labs in many institutes where we can fabricate electronic devices. Now we just need to make electronic devices, devices that can eventually go in to some useful product and help technology, help our country to be totally indigenous. And that's when we kick others' a$$ !