Deccan Herald | BioE3 policy must prioritise biopharma and biomanufacturing

The BioE3 policy must prioritise sectors where current geopolitical developments have created opportunities for Indian companies to enter international markets.

By Shambhavi Naik and Saurabh Todi

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Nature India | People must be at the heart of GMO policies

Concerns over safety of genetically modified products will persist unless the public is engaged with the science behind them

By Saurabh Todi & Henry Dixson

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Nikkei Asia | It's time for India to unleash private investment in nuclear energy

New Delhi must break bureaucratic silos to allow sector to flourish.

By Saurabh Todi

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Nikkei Asia | India-U.S.-South Korea tech cooperation has strategic logic

In their own way, the U.S., South Korea and India each have come to realize their potential vulnerability to supply chain cutoffs and trade coercion. Now the trio have begun working together on a joint initiative, the Trilateral Technology Dialogue (TTD), that aims to make technology supply chains more resilient, bring technology solutions to the broader Indo-Pacific region and spur innovation and economic growth. Read the full article here.

ASPI - The Strategist | India-Australia collaboration on digital public infrastructure in the Pacific

The deployment of population-scale digital public infrastructure (DPI) is gaining traction worldwide and is acknowledged as a necessary and cost-effective intervention to fast-track sustainable development. The G20 also endorsed the ‘Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure’, a voluntary plan for the development, deployment, and governance of DPI. India has developed state-of-the-art DPI for various purposes, and Australia is the biggest development partner for Pacific Island countries. Together, they are well positioned to make state-of-the-art DPI accessible to small island developing states (PSIDS) there to help fast-track developmental outcomes. Read the full article here.

Le Grand Continent | The Future of the Sino-Indian Rivalry

“China+1: this is the name given to the diversification strategy adopted by a number of countries and companies to reduce their dependence on China as a single manufacturing or supply center. This approach involves exploring alternative locations beyond China to transform the geography of supply chains and minimize the risks associated with over-reliance on a single supplier. It reflects a broader effort by countries and businesses to counterbalance China's economic dominance and adapt to changes in global power relations. Analyzes of trade and investment data over the past three years indicate that the European Union, Mexico, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam have become the main beneficiaries of the China+1 strategy in sectors such as machine tools, automobiles, transportation equipment and electrical equipment.

India is also seeking to capitalize on concern over China's dominance of global supply chains by reforming its economic and regulatory framework with a view to boosting its attractiveness. India's strategy thus includes three components: reducing its dependence on China, attracting investments from those seeking to diversify their trade relations and adopting a protectionist policy by introducing customs duties on imports.”

This article was originally published in French, Italian and Spanish by the Le Grand Continent. The unedited English version of the article can be found here.

ThePrint | US & other nations will push for tripling nuclear power by 2050 during COP28. India must join in

The agenda for the United Nations’ upcoming 28th Climate Change Conference of the Parties promises more than the usual climate discussions. This time, the spotlight will also fall on nuclear energy, and India must take advantage. Scheduled from 30 November to 12 December in the United Arab Emirates, the COP28 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is particularly important. It marks the conclusion of the first global stocktake, a five-year assessment of progress made toward Paris Agreement goals. Apart from the usual business, nuclear energy will be a central talking point during the summit. The US is reportedly set to lead the effort to advocate for significantly increasing nuclear power globally, with the aim of least tripling worldwide capacity by 2050. Read the full article here.

Nikkei Asia | India can get more out of nuclear power with private sector help

India needs a way to generate a lot more power to keep up with rapidly rising demand without adding to its already severe pollution woes. For India, nuclear energy is the obvious solution. On Aug. 31, a new unit of the Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant -- the largest to be designed in India -- began full operations in Gujarat state. At their meeting in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed how the two countries could collaborate on developing next-generation small modular reactor technologies. A few weeks before, Modi talked to French President Emmanuel Macron about joint work on another emerging technology, advanced modular reactors. Read the full article here.

Hindustan Times | NRF is a game changer. But it needs more clarity

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is India’s largest government programme to fund research till date. India’s gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) is currently 0.6-0.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), quite low when compared with that of the United States (US) (3.36%), China (2.14%), and Israel (4.9%). A significant infusion of funding, steered by a clear implementation strategy, is required for India to become a science leader. The NRF bill is an excellent start to driving India’s research agenda but it needs to clarify its objectives and create capacity for their achievement. Read the full article here.

Rajasthan Patrika | India-U.S Biotechnology Cooperation

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The Hindu | India as a Quad-led biomanufacturing hub

In March 2021, the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) set up a Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group to facilitate cooperation, monitor trends, and scout for opportunities related to developments in critical and emerging technologies, that included biotechnology. However, the potential for Quad cooperation in biotechnology remains insufficiently tapped. The establishment of a Quad-led biomanufacturing hub in India will give the necessary fillip to enhance this cooperation.

This article can be read here.

Nikkei Asia | The Quad should have its own biomanufacturing hub in India

Biomanufacturing, which uses microorganisms and cell cultures to produce molecules and materials on a large scale, is rapidly rising in importance for Indo-Pacific nations. The world's response to COVID-19 depended on the rapid production of new vaccines through biomanufacturing. Countries with preexisting manufacturing capabilities became the gatekeepers of vaccine supply. Scaling up biomanufacturing in India will be fraught with challenges, however, but these can be overcome with external support. The Quad group in particular is ideally placed to collaborate and boost India's efforts.

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News18 | Globalising India's DPI for a Common Digital Future

As the current chair of the G20, India has an opportunity to showcase and advocate for the global adoption of its world-class digital public infrastructure (DPI), which could lead to global standards, best practices, and innovation trickling back to India

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ASPI Strategist | The Quad should commit to a biomanufacturing hub in India

A biological revolution is underway in global manufacturing. Products produced from genetic engineering and biomanufacturing techniques are replacing many chemical, industrial and farm-based products. These include biological therapies, alternative proteins, plant-based oils, bioplastics and super strong threads, and more products such as bioconcrete are in development. The upcoming leaders’ summit in Sydney is an opportunity for the members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to take leadership in manufacturing this critical technology.

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The Quint | A Gap in Strategic Planning: Why India Needs a National Security Doctrine

Japan’s National Security Strategy (NSS), released in December 2022, defied convention and chose to identify China and Russia by name as strategic threats. It also recommended that the country double its defence budget. Several other major powers, such as the United States, France, and Russia, also release similar documents. However, despite being the second most populous country, the fifth largest economy, and a nuclear power with one of the world’s most powerful militaries, India does not publish any such document.

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Deccan Herald | A case for marriage equality

On March 13, the Supreme Court of India referred a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriages (or marriage equality) to a constitution bench. The Union government opposed these petitions, stating that it is not comparable to the Indian family unit, and that recognition of marriages is a legislative function, not a judicial one. Legal scholars have argued that not granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages violates fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, such as Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21. They cite the NALSA judgment (2014), the Puttaswamy judgment (2017), and the Navtej Singh Johar judgment (2018) as the most consequential in this regard. While marriage equality has a strong constitutional case, socio-cultural consensus is also important.

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Deccan Herald | Quad partners can boost India’s biomanufacturing policy

Biotechnology is going to revolutionise the global economy and many countries recognise the need to optimally develop bioresources. According to an OECD report, more than 50 countries have adopted specific policies designed to shape their bio-economies.

In the recent past, the United States and China have also published plans for spurring their bio-economies. India’s Department of Biotechnology has released the 2021-2025 National Biotechnology Development Strategy, which envisions India as a global biomanufacturing hub by 2025.