C-DAC: Press Kit - Archives(In the News) - From Tacky to Techie and beyond

It is a date backed by history. It was on May 11, 1998, that India conducted its nuclear tests, test-fired the Trishul missle and recorded an achievement in terms of the maiden flight of Hansa-3, the first all-composite indigenous two-seater aircraft.

Since then, the date is observed as national Technology Day. And by all accounts, the nation is doing quite well.

Comments industralist Naushad Forbes, the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): "As probably the first developing country to have invested so much in scientific research, we have begun to reap rich rewards. The changes since 1991 in the face of globalization have been tremendous and extremely positive so that process innovation, an area which remained neglected, has been considered with the seriousness it deserves. Today, the industry is well aware of the fact that it needs to concentrate on product innovation to beat the competition. As such, design engineering is been given increasing demand."

Rapid strides made by way of technological improvement can be seen in all sectors of the industry. As in the construction field where, as Rajiv Nehru, Director of the National Institute of Construction, Management and Research (NICMAR), put it, "Technology management has come to play a crucial role due to the advanced equipment available." An example is that of the construction of the Pune-Mumbai expressway which brought into play the use of concrete pavers. "Another instance," adds Nehru, "is that of the construction of intelligent buildings which comprise the facilities accorded by convergence cables that can connect the internet, telephone and cable television with a single input, as also provide for security devices to protect against fire and thefts."

The concept also includes technology in financial management as in the use of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) system.

Similar is the case in the segment of astronomy and astrophysics where the city-based Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCCA), has recorded pioneering feats. "When it comes to the use of the world. Take the case of the Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) or the Handley telescope installed at Leh, which is remotely operated from a center in Bangalore.

We have also been at the forefront in the development of data-mining so all relevant information used by astronomers is quickly available." States Mr. Arvind Paranjpye, in-charge of the public outreach program at IUCCA.

Elaborating on new technology telescopes, Prof. S.N. Tandon of IUCCA, says that there has also been considerable progress in the development of active and adaptive telescopes which will help obtain sharper pictures. In the first case, the telescopes provide for automatic correction in the face of distortion due to gravity while the adaptive telescopes take care of data reading changes brought on by atmospheric disruptions. Considering that Pune has been a nerve-centre in the field of computing, the Centre for development of Advanced Computing has done itself proud with its path-breaking PARAM series of supercomputers and the GIST language technologies. But does this imply that there are no issues to be tackled?

As Mr. Forbes observes: "Considering the economic impact of globalization, we have far too few companies which are moving ahead in product innovation. Now that the demand for technology specialists is on the rise, there should be a concentrated effort to focus on designing."

This finds an echo in what Nehru says about the need to train those who are refusing to change their old methods. "When quality has become the prime factor in any industry, the primary need is to adopt technologies which cut down on over-spending. More so, the objective of the use of the new technology should be to make life more comfortable and secure," he adds. The biggest feel-good factor, however, is that brain-drain is finally under check, with Indian companies quite willing to recognize and reward young talent. "We now have decision-makers who are in their early 30s. This will augment our chances of inching closer to the developed countries," opines Nehru.