SITARA, which brings together some of the Nation’s most eminent industrialists, scientists, military experts, diplomats, administrators, economists and concerned citizens – aims at building an advanced and prosperous India, which believes in the power of Science & Technology to deliver a better future for its citizens.
SITARA aims to do this by creating a high-tech, R & D intensive economy. This will help:
- Lower India’s import dependence in military, aerospace, ICT, cyberspace, and other import intensive sectors technologies
- Capture maximum value addition in advanced manufacturing and cyberspace
- Reduce the C.A.D. & strengthen the rupee
- Exert a demand pull on the education and skilling system
- Ensure India’s talented citizens contribute to development at home
- Massively propel high quality, environmentally responsible economic growth
- Increase employment opportunities
- Improve national welfare
The current geopolitical scenario has vindicated SITARA’s original focus on attaining a deeper measure of self-reliance in advanced technologies and reduced dependence on high-tech imports.
Unique Do Tank with Several Firsts
- After our success in mainstreaming the debate on indigenising defence equipment through our predecessor -the High-tech Defence Innovation Forum – our first successful campaign was in the telecommunications sector.
- We were the only ones to warn Government about the danger of Chinese and foreign OEM control over our ICT networks, which Government and private sector telecom operators had generously handed over to Chinese and FOEM companies. We highlighted the enormous security implications of outsourcing ICT networks to Chinese and other foreign companies, especially in the age of AI and 5G, when information networks can be weaponised.
- We have made progress. A senior official told us that we had lit the fire on procurement reforms in our country, although unfortunately our role has not yet been publicised.
- In fact, our laser-like focus on technology led us to predict the major geopolitical contests in this century which is the US-China technological war. Other think tanks caught on much later.
- It also led us to focus on various flaws within the Indian economic ecosystem which has led to our companies being marginalized, unable to invest in R&D and therefore powerless to give their best to the country.
When most of the world is turning towards techno-nationalist industrial policies, it is high time for India to emerge out of its reflexive assimilation of outdated globalisation orthodoxies and chart a path to development and globalisation to set its path to high growth. This will ultimately benefit the global economy also.
SITARA is in the best position to point out the path with the selfless dedication of its membership to its objectives.
