New Delhi, July 27 -- Independent India is on the verge of beginning its 80th year. One aspect of India's development that needs a full recalibration is its approach to research and development (R&D).

For the last eight decades, India has provided services to the world. This has given India's skilled manpower a gainful opportunity, directly and indirectly engendered prosperity and also supported its capital account through remittances from abroad.

This has required India to produce competent engineers, doctors, computer scientists, chemists, pharmacists, accountants and other service providers at industrial scale via a 'factory'-like education system.

Both India and the world are changing rapidly, and this system cannot sustain the nex...