Smita Purushottam is the founder of the non-profit Do Tank “SITARA”, a Science, Indigenous Technology and Advanced Research Accelerator, to bring increased vigour to the indigenisation of high-tech production and building a Science Nation in India. She had launched the High-Tech Defence Innovation Forum at IDSA in 2011 but it was taken over after she left.
Her inspiration is her late Father, Shri S.V. Purushottam, an idealist, brilliant and beloved by all Indian Foreign Service Officer, who passionately espoused his country’s cause and left behind an unfulfilled desire to make India a prosperous and advanced country. It was due to his urging that she took the test for the All-India services. Her Grandfather Shri Sidheswari Prasad Sinha, a genuine Freedom Fighter who gave up politics post-Independence because of corruption and the loss of direction, also served as an inspiration in her early years. He was dedicated to building a prosperous, advanced India based on the principles of a largely free market tempered with enormous compassion, an India free from superstition and feudalism .
She served as Ambassador to Venezuela (Jan 2012 – Jun 2015), and to Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the Holy See (Aug 2015-Oct 2017). In Switzerland, she transformed the sleepy bilateral relationship with 3 Summits held in rapid succession due to realisation of the benefits of a stronger partnership with the world’s No. 1 country in Innovation, international competitiveness, vocational education and environmental performance. Concrete progress was achieved on black money and Swiss support for India’s NSG candidature. Several investment commitments from high-tech Swiss firms were received during her tenure.
She served as Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India in Berlin; Minister (Political) at the High Commission of India, London; Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Indian Embassy in Beijing and Brussels, and Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York and the Embassy of India, Moscow.
In Venezuela, she tried very hard to promote India’s interests especially through a rupee payments mechanism for oil imports by India, but despite great efforts there was limited scope to achieve creative results. She was able to facilitate some forms of cooperation. In Switzerland, she transformed a sleepy bilateral relationship into a robust partnership with the world’s leading country in innovation, international competitiveness, vocational education, and environmental performance, with 3 Summits held in quick succession. Concrete progress was achieved on critical matters, including addressing black money and garnering Swiss support for India’s Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) candidature. Additionally, her diplomatic efforts attracted investment commitments from high-tech Swiss firms.
As Min (Pol), London, she handled responsibility for political affairs and participated in the think tank community. She cultivated key allies in the British Parliament which helped to turn sentiment in favour of India. As DCM, Berlin, she handled responsibility for the political and administrative wings, interacted with German MPs and think tanks, and handled several high-level/ VVIP visits during Germany’s Presidency of the G-8, the EU and Chairmanship of the NSG. She played a key role in obtaining and transmitting the German Foreign Office’ advice which led to the NSG finally granting permission enabling civil nuclear cooperation with India on September 6, 2008.
As Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs in Beijing, she had the opportunity to study Chinese economic reforms first-hand. She was struck by the pace of progress and the enthusiasm for reform at all levels. She cultivated extensive contacts, handled many commercial delegations, and analysed key aspects of China’s development experience which she relayed back to interested departments and industry associations in India. She was the only female member from a developing country of a diplomatic officers group dedicated to analysing the Chinese economy.
The assignment led her to focus on decoding China’s development trajectory in later years. She spent a year as Fellow at Harvard during 2000-2001 where she prepared a paper “Can India Overtake China?” (2001), in which she compared the two economies and their respective reform experiences; analysed the ongoing reforms in the Indian economy focusing on the telecom sector, aviation, privatization attempts and IT, and recommended building a strong manufacturing sector like China was doing. She emphasised the importance of embedded technology, now called the IoT, and predicted the success of the ongoing telecom sector reforms in India. Since then, her focus has switched to China’s Science & Technology Advances and her publications focused on innovation ecosystems, including the highly sophisticated American ecosystem. She has been consistently advocating the adoption of policies to invigorate India’s scientific and technological capabilities.
In Brussels in the early 90s she handled responsibility for economic and commercial affairs and helped to launch the first Indo-Europe software alliance with Shri Dewang Mehta, President of NASSCOM; she worked on business development and aid projects like the ISO TQM project, upgrading quality standards in the auto components sector, and many others. She focused on these areas although the potential of these sectors was not recognised even in India, while abroad, India’s emerging excellence in these sectors was virtually unknown.
She served also as Joint Secretary at the Foreign Service Institute (MEA), New Delhi; Joint Secretary in the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters in MOD; Director/Under Secretary (East Europe/Russia/Soviet Union) and SAARC, and Under Secretary (Bhutan) in MEA. She was perhaps one of the few people who predicted that Glasnost and Perestroika would lead to the unwinding of Communist Party rule in the USSR, which was ignored. She predicted the disruptive effects of China’s tech acquisitions spree and ODI for Europe’s technological base and even EU unity, all of which have come true (the article was rejected as too speculative at the time), and that China’s S&T advances contained a powerful challenge for India.
Post retirement
She is founder of a Do Tank “SITARA”, a Science, Indigenous Technology and Advanced Research Accelerator, to bring increased vigour to the indigenisation of high-tech production and building a Science Nation in India. SITARA’s efforts led to the launch of reforms for indigenising India’s telecom networks, though this is still an uphill task. Enormous effort was expended in achieving a change in Govt policy which led to indigenisation, creating many backward and forward linkages and high-quality local employment. She also vigorously tried to promote Swiss style vocational education in India. SITARA has approached the Prime Minister’s Office and other senior officials in Government on several issues pertaining to the environment and agricultural reforms, industrial policy, telecom indigenisation, Chinese reforms, the need for sovereign compute capabilities in India, Government procurement as a policy instrument to promote indigenous development and growth, FTAs, science and technology policy, India’s deep tech policy, and related issues. SITARA has organised roundtables with decision makers to urge the importance of indigenous development, which is essential to create resources to tackle India’s multiple challenges.
Hobbies
Her hobbies are reading, Russian literature, amateur science, social work, writing, walking, swimming, painting, theatre, movies and ballet. She is committed to environmental causes and has planted several trees at different locations in Delhi, India, Caracas and Berne; she has donated to NGOs planting trees in India and is looking to join an NGO dedicated to preserving the environment. During her younger days she acted in college plays, participated in inter-college, inter-university debates and quizzes, trekked in Kashmir and wrote several articles for her college magazine and The Statesman on various topics – philosophy, social work, youth issues and literature. She also did some social work. She speaks Russian, French and Hindi and once upon a time could read limited Spanish.
Academic
Ms. Purushottam did her schooling in New Delhi, Moscow, and Geneva. Ms. Purushottam earned a Master’s degree (1st class) in History from Delhi University in 1979. She taught History briefly at Jesus & Mary College, Delhi University and joined the M.Phil. program at Delhi University – both in 1979. She won a Fellowship for a PhD in European History at Cornell University in the same year that she qualified for the Indian Foreign Service (1980), which she joined. She was selected in 1984 for a panel of Judges for books qualifying for the Hunger Media Awards awarded by a non-profit NGO affiliated to the United Nations.
She spent a year as Fellow at Harvard during 2000-2001 where she prepared a paper “Can India Overtake China?” (2001), in which she compared the two economies and their respective reform experiences, and recommended building a strong high-tech manufacturing sector like China.
She joined the Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi in 2010, as Senior Fellow where she focused on the Chinese innovation eco-system and Russia. The Eurasia cluster at IDSA launched and headed by her revived studies on Eurasia. She pointed out the urgency of matching Chinese advances in science & technology; her publications/ predictions regarding the increasing gap between India and China and need for action have been validated by current developments. She also started the High-Tech Defence Innovation Forum at IDSA, since renamed as SITARA. The Forum provided a platform for discussion on issues relating to developing advanced technologies in India.
She attended courses at the National Defence University, Washington in July-August 2002, and the Workshop on the Relationship Between National Security and Technology in China at the University of California, San Diego, in July-August 2013. She also attended the High-Performance Leadership course at IMD, Lausanne in May 2017. Earlier she had attended management classes at VUB, Brussels.
Ms. Purushottam has been published in reputed journals and newspapers in India and abroad.
Thursday, 11 July 2024.
Publications
1. All the Posts on the SITARA (https://sitara.org.in/) website.
2. November 30, 2023: “Why Indigenous Technology Must Form the Core of India’s National Security Strategy”; https://stratnewsglobal.com/articles/why-indigenous-technology-must-form-the-core-of-indias-national-security-strategy
3. June 8 2023: “Preserving Human Control: Ensuring AI does Good”; https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/preserving-human-control-ensuring-ai-does-good-smita-purushottam/?trackingId=m8OLCETbQ2ekAO2u1c9W0w%3D%3D
4. March 2022: “Indigenous Design led manufacturing”, Monthly Policy Note, Primus Partners Publications
5. September 2022: “Expert Speak on Trade Policy”, Primus Partners Publications.
6. April 12, 2021: “Mastering ICT R&D Will Make Our National Security Future-Ready”; https://www.raksha-anirveda.com/mastering-ict-rd-will-make-our-national-security-future-ready/
7. November 25, 2020: “China might get ahead of even the US in Science and technology; what India must do”. https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/china-might-get-ahead-of-even-the-us-in-science-and-technology-what-india-must-do/2135759/
8. September 9, 2020: Foreword to MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai’s Study on ‘Promoting Electronics Manufacturing in India’.
9. October 11, 2019: “RCEP meet: How India can gain from US-China trade war”, Business Today: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/rcep-meet-india-can-gain-from-us-china-trade-war-regional-comprehensive-economic-partnership-indian-industry/story/384046.html
10. October -December 2019: “Securing the Nation ’s Critical Infrastructure through Indigenisation”, Raksha Anirved publication.
11. August 13, 2019: “Telecom networks: The changing face of conflict”; https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/telecom-networks-the-changing-face-of-conflict/1673863/
12. June 1, 2019: “Why India needs a reindustrialisation drive, Lessons for India from the American and German response to China’s rise”; https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/why-india-needs-a-reindustrialisation-drive/1594907
13. 5th February, 2019: “US-China Geotechnology Race and the Lessons for India”, Institute of Chinese Studies-SITARA Occasional Paper; https://www.icsin.org/publications/us-china-geo-technology-race-and-the-lessons-for-india-importance-of-indigenous-technologies-in-enhancing-indian-defence-capabilities
14. October 27, 2018: “Chinese threat to cybersecurity: Why India needs a comprehensive & concrete action plan for national security and economic health”; https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/chinese-threat-to-cybersecurity-why-india-needs-a-comprehensive-concrete-action-plan-for-national-security-and-economic-health/1363012/
15. June 26, 2018: “Why India Needs To Learn From China’s Industrial Policy … And Better It”, Delhi Defence Review; http://www.delhidefencereview.com/2018/06/26/why-india-needs-to-learn-from-chinas-industrial-policy-and-better-it/
16. 2014: “Chinese Takeaways for Building a High-Tech Defence Innovation Base in India”: Article in Book “Perspectives on India’s Defence Offset Policy”, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, Sage Publications.
17. 2013: “Indigenous High-Tech Development, Promoting India’s Manufacturing Sector”, SPs Military Yearbook.
18. 2013: “The Growing S&T Gap with China and How India Can Close It ”: essay in the book “Science and Technology in China: Implications and Lessons for India” edited by Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra, Sage Publications.
19. 2012: essay: “Technology as the Key to Power: What India can learn from China” in the book “Present Day China : A Net Assessment”, Observer Research Foundation
20. 2012: “Russia in India’s National Strategy”, IDSA Book: Grand Strategy for India: 2020 and Beyond, Pentagon Security International. [Download E-Book]
21. 9-10 December 2011: “Chinese Takeaways for Building a High-Tech Defence Innovation Base in India”: Lecture at “Swavalamban II” Seminar, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
22. November 4, 2011: “Ukraine’s flirtation with China and Russia’s Response”, Issue Brief,
23. October 2, 2011: “Energy diplomacy and the making of Russia”, Business Standard.
24. 2011-12, SP’s Military Yearbook 40th issue: Indo-Russian Strategic Partnership; https://issuu.com/spguide/docs/sp_s_military_yearbook_2011-2012
25. June, 2011: “Report of the High- Tech Defence Innovation Forum-a Vision for an Indian Science & Technology Advancement Strategy (VISTAS)”.
26. July 31, 2011: “It’s time for a National Technology Policy”, Business Standard.
27. July 25, 2011: “Independence Day Special 2011 Edition – India and Germany in Focus”, Krest Publications, New Delhi.
28. June 2011: Interview, Chanakya, Civil Services Today.
29. May 23, 2011: “Russia’s Growing Engagement with Pakistan”.
30. March 24, 2011: “Will Defence Industrialization Help The Technological Upgrade of the Indian Economy?”, Global Policy (London School of Economics affiliated) Journal.
31. March 17, 2011: “Russia between East and West: An insightful perspective from New Delhi”, CERENE, Greece.
32. February 14, 2011: “China Woos Europe: Next moves on the Eurasian Chessboard”, Global Policy London School of Economics affiliated journal.
33. December 10, 2020: President Medvedev’s Visit to India: Fresh Directions for Indo-Russian Partnership in the 21st Century
34. August 27, 2010 : “The Sochi Summit: Fresh Moves on the Grand Eurasian Chessboard”, Issue Brief.
35. July 2010: “A Growing Technological Gap with China?” Strategic Analysis, Vol 34 (4), pp 496-503.
36. June 14, 2010: “Economic Crises, Currencies and Geopolitical Turning Points”, Issue Brief.
37. July 2002 : “Can India Succeed In Overcoming The Chinese Colossus?” Financial Express.
38. November 2002 : “Copycats don’t Catch Mice,” Financial Express.
39. 2001: “Can India Overtake China?” Harvard University, 2001.
40. 1998 : “Chinese Economic Reforms and their Relevance to India,” in Muchkund Dubey, ed., South Asia and its Neighbours(1998).
41. Articles in The Statesman between 1977-79 (Reflections on Social Service: Independence day Statesman issue, Beyond the Karmayogi, Panacea for Joylessness).
42. Miranda House magazine 1975: Post flood situation in Bihar and one introductory article.
Seminars/ Presentations
Individual occasions:
• September 26, 2023: Presentation on China’s Indigenisation and Standardisation of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure: The Case of Information & Communication Technologies (ICT), hosted by the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA), ORCA’s Global Conference on New Sinology (GCNS) 2023.
• July 25, 2022: Meeting with the Ministry of Environment and lobbying with Forest Department of Delhi on protecting trees and environmental issues.
• May 9, 2021: Webinar on US China Geotechnology Race, Samvaad 2021, Thapar MUN Society, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab
• January 29, 2021: Making India self-sufficient in Defence, Covints Seminar.
• October 20-21, 2020: Disruption by China in the Information Domain, Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies.
• September 30, 2020: Participation in Connected India Panel on the Future of Connectivity in India.
• August 28, 2020: Special Guest speaker at the Digital Users Group (DUG) webinar on “Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s challenge in Telecom Manufacturing and Export.”
• January 25, 2020: SITARA and High-Tech Indigenisation, Shiv Nadar University Panel on
Digitalisation and India’s ICT Sector Preparedness: Traversing the public policy space.
• January 11, 2020: Make in India: Making it Work, Innovation for Competitiveness, Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship Invitation, Bangalore.
• December 13, 2019: Talk on “Indigenisation For National Security”, Vibrant Start-up & Technology Summit 2019, Science City, Ahmedabad
• November 15-17, 2019: Lecture on “US China Tech Race”, All India Conference on China Studies (AICCS), Institute of Chinese Studies, Bangalore.
• September 25-26, 2019: Panel Discussion. “Need of Indigenous Solutions/Products in Securing the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure”, National Workshop on Cyber Security for Critical Infrastructure, Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS), Chennai.
• February 14, 2019: “The Geo-Technology Race and implications for India”, Telecom Trainee Officers, Gurgaon.
• January 1, 2019: Presentation on “Importance of Indigenous Technologies in enhancing Indian Defence Capabilities”, Army Tech Seminar (ARTECH 2019).
• 2018: Creation of SITARA.
• March 20, 2017: Address at and organisation of the India Investment and Innovation Forum at IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland with top CEOs in High-Tech, investment, vocational education, environment and other panels.
• November, 2017: Talk on “Digitisation in India”, Horasis, Interlaken
• February 14, 2017: Presentation on “Business and Digitisation in India”, University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland, School of Business.
• December 5, 2016: Address at and organisation of the Make in India Workshop, Berne, Switzerland.
• 2016-17: Address at and organisation of Ayurved workshops in Berne, Switzerland.
• November 19-20, 2015: Address at SIREN, Swiss India Renewable ENergy (SIREN) Symposium, Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Participation at various seminars and conferences in Switzerland.
• January 19, 2015: “Launching Defence Industrialisation in India”: Lecture and Power Point at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, JNU, New Delhi
• November 26, 2014 – “Defence Innovation Strategy for India”: at “5th Meeting of High-Tech Defence Innovation Forum”, Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, IDSA, New Delhi.
• August 24, 2013 : “Elements of, and international perspectives on, an indigenous Innovation Eco-system”: 4th Meeting of High-Tech Defence Innovation Forum, IDSA, New Delhi.
• August 31, 2013: “Building a High-tech Economic Foundation in India”: Mangalayatan University, Uttar Pradesh, India
• February 3 – February 4, 2012: Lecture at Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Seminar Series: “Science and Technology in China: Implications and Lessons for India”, New Delhi.
• August 26-27, 2011: Lecture at Confederation of Indian Industry and Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CII-CENJOWS) Seminar, “Technology as the Key to Power: Building a High-Tech Defence Innovation Base in India”.
• 25 April, 2011: Lecture on “Prospects of a Russia-China Strategic Formulation to Displace US Global Dominance”; Lecture and Presentation at National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi.
• 5 November 2009: Chairperson of Session on ‘China’s Importance for Developing Asia: Trade and Investment Relations’, organised by RIS at IIC.
• 2007-2008: Lectures on Indian economy before different audiences in Embassy of India, Berlin auditórium.
• November 13, 2008: “Innovation in the Modern Age”, Special Address at 3rd Indo-German Business Forum Dusseldorf.
• 2008: Speech on India and bilateral prospects in Braunschweig, Germany
• October 16, 2008: “The Energy Scenario in India and Possibilities for Cooperation Between India and Germany”, Ihk, Nürnberg
• January 2007: Panel discussion on Space, organised by the German Foreign Ministry, Berlin
Multiple occasions
• Occasional appearances on TV on Russia, ICT security and India’s space program
• 2019-2023 – Organized several round-tables with Defence Ministry, National Security Council Secretariat and Telecom Department on indigenisation and high-tech promotion.
• 2019-2021 – Lectures at the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs: May 7, 2019, February 7, 2020 and February 16, 2021 on the US-China Geo-Technology Race & The Importance Of Indigenous Technology For India.
• 2019-2022 – Talks at Universities on the importance of high-tech indigenisation
• September 2021 and September 2022: Talk & Presentation on Technology and Geopolitics, K J Somaiya Institute of Management.
• 2009: Lectures to Defence Attaches, ASEAN diplomats and other groups during tenure at FSI.
• 2012-2013: Lectures at University Centrale, Los Andes University, Simon Bolivar University and other venues in Venezuela and Curacao.
2010-2011: Lectures on Germany, Global Currency issues, and Russia at IDSA.
1994-1997: Talks in China and organisation of several bilateral business seminars.
