When Tech is not so intensive

Despite innumerous reforms, India based technology intensive export is still dominated by low end technology industries like textiles, jewellery, metals et al. India is still way back in technology intensive industries and contributes meagerly in technology intensive exports. As per a survey by Compendium on Technology Exports (CTE), India’s high end technology export are estimated at 5% of manufactured export and stood at a scanty $2292 million in 2003 (whereas the figure was $1043 billion globally). Moreover, the aggregate non-software technology-intensive export in 2004-05 amounted to only Rs.2,74,938 million. The relative performance of pharmaceutical industries in exports was better than technology but at lower end of technology standard while export by metals and non-metallic industries was second from the bottom. Even after the science and technology policy of 2003 and a concession of 5% on public funded research institution (announced in the union budget), there seems to be an intentional slack in policy implementation.

In an era, where knowledge and innovations are the keyword for success in global trade, technology intensive exports act as the only ‘tangible’ keyword. Yet it seems our policy makers are turning their deaf ears toward steps to boost technology intensive industries.