CRITICAL TECH SECTORS

Why in the news?

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently unveiled draft road maps for Critical Tech Sectors.

More on the news

• Draft Roadmaps were prepared by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), giving emphasis on indigenisation of software and hardware in the critical sectors.
• They aim to solve a series of issues by different time spans between now and 2047, the centenary of Indian independence, with specific domestic research goals outlined.
• They aim to synergize efforts of stakeholders to align with NITI Aayog's strategy for Research and Development.

What are Critical Technology Sectors?

• Critical Technologies are those technologies identified by government as ‘Critical’ for a nation's 
  • future economic growth, 
  • national security, and 
  • technological advancement. 
• These often involve:
  • cutting-edge research, 
  • innovation, and 
  • strategic importance.
• These sectors typically receive heightened oversight from the government and improving technology investment environment.
• They are important for state’s critical infrastructure.
  • As they offer safe, cost-effective and reliable service and can act as a predictive tool for forecasting potential failures.
• Examples of Critical Technology Sectors include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum computing, Internet of Things, and Blockchain.

Significance of Critical Tech Sectors

• Global Partnership: They promote India’s technological leadership; cooperation with partners to advance and maintain shared technological advantages, making India trustworthy international technology partner.
• Indigenisation:  Critical technologies help deter foreign hostile forces from economic espionage, strengthen the protection of key technologies. 
  • It avoids the damage to national and industrial interests caused by illegal technology outflows.
• Economic growth: Drives innovation and competitiveness across key industries and creates job opportunities and boosts GDP growth.
• Strengthening Mobile security and Privacy: Enterprise-grade security systems are particularly crucial for businesses to safeguard their intellectual property, customer data, and operational continuity.
• Cryptography: Robust cryptographic techniques are essential for protecting sensitive data, securing online transactions, and maintaining trust in digital interactions.
• IoT Security: It is crucial to mitigate the risks like disrupting critical services and ensure the resilience of IoT ecosystems.

Critical technology collaborations with other countries: U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) has six priority sectors – defence, space, quantum, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and telecommunications. India and Australia signed the Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber – Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation in June 2020.  India and EU have also signed an intent of cooperation in the area of High-Performance Computing in 2022.  In 2023, India and Japan have also entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on semiconductor supply chain partnership.

Challenges in developing critical tech sectors

• Education and Skills Gap: Despite producing a large number of STEM graduates, there's often a gap between the skills taught and those required by industries.
• Brain drain: India faces brain drain in AI algorithms and hardware accelerators as many opt post graduate training in USA and Europe.
• Research and Development Funding: While India has made strides in R&D, there's still a need for increased funding and investment in R&D to foster innovation and technological breakthroughs.
• Global Competition: India faces stiff competition from other countries like China, USA, etc., particularly in emerging technology sectors such as AI and quantum computing.
• Environmental Concerns: Technology sectors growth requires addressing energy consumption, electronic waste management, and sustainable manufacturing practices.

Way Forward: Key Highlights of the Roadmaps