Great deal of India-US co-operation in knowledge: Sam Pitroda

New Delhi, Mar 3: India and the US should co-operate in creation and application of knowledge by networking with US universities, science and tecnology institutions to access knowledge by leveraging Internet technology, Sam Pitroda, Chairman, Knowledge Commission, said today.

Addressing the conference on Speaking on how India could work together in knowledge-based areas with the US, Mr Pitroda said, access to knowledge, creation of knowledge, knowledge applications and knowledge related services in the Government (e-governance) are the areas where both the nations could collaborate and learn from each other.

Mr Pitroda pointed out that Massachusetts Institute of Technology was working towards creating access of its courses via the Internet.

It is important to learn from institutions in the US on funding and creating networks of knowledge especially in the public sector, as a major chunk of research activities in the US is funded by the public sector. IPR is a great enabler in this regard and India has tuned with the world, he added Stressing the need for an active affirmative action programme for India, through learning from such programmes in the US, Mr Pitroda said, these programmes will be of great significance in the future to widen and deepen access to knowledge equitably across the Indian society.

Mr Pitroda, speaking on the demographic dividend enjoyed by India, said there were ample opportunities for India to contribute to the US and the US also has a great opportunity to bridge its emerging skilled manpower gap by reaping the benefits of India's demographic dividend. Another area of collaboration proposed by Mr Pitroda was on processing of patent applications. It takes about three and a half years in the US to process patent applications. India can help the US in supplying with professionals who could process patent applications and the US could help India in training legal professionals in evaluating patent applications.

Mr Pitroda congratulated the CII and applauded its Indian American Council that harnesses and engages Indian talent in the US with India and organises a platform where Indian Americans could contribute to India's development process.

Mr Bhatia, Deputy USTR, addressing the participants said, a common vision for relationship not grounded in power politics but deep and abiding belief in democracy, political and economic freedom is the outcome of the Presidential visit to India. The joint statement signed yesterday is a testimony to the deepening relationship between India and the US.

Speaking on the co-operation on strengthening of economic institutions, Mr Bhatia said that the Trade Policy Forum was the only bilateral forum the US had with any country that has a ministerial level engagement.

There are sustainable challenges to trade and investment relations and the current presidential visit will go a long way in building tronger strategic relationship and chalk out a roadmap for stronger US-India trade and investment relations, he added.

Mr Bhatia also stressed on the need for India and the US to co-operate in multilateral fora to enable lowering of tariffs and increasing market access for Indian and US firms in the world economy.

UNI