Industrial Technological Development and Technology Institution-Firm Interaction: Reflections on a Multi-Industry Study in India

Since Independence the government of India has given considerable importance to the development of a strong and autonomous scientific and technological base. In fact India has an enviable S&T infrastructure by developing country standards. Nevertheless, it has been widely perceived that the level of utilisation of research conducted by national research laboratories has not been satisfactory. This paper reports the major findings of a study of industrial technological development and technology institution-firm interaction in India conducted as part of an international study covering seven sectors: Auto Components, Foundry, Machine Tools, Pharmaceuticals, Polymers software and Textiles. Finally the paper drawn some implications for technology institutions in the country.