Daily Editorial Analysis 19 September 2026

A Homegrown Innovation Ecosystem is Taking Root

Context

• India is gradually shifting from being primarily a technology adopter to becoming a technology creator.
• Public research institutions, universities, corporate R&D centres and deep-tech startups are increasingly contributing to indigenous innovation.
• Developments in Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors, CAR-T cancer therapy, space technology, 5G/6G and AI-enabled healthcare demonstrate this transformation.
• India has therefore developed the foundations of an innovation economy, but converting scientific capabilities into sustained technological and economic strength remains a challenge.

The Three Pillars of India’s Innovation Ecosystem

• A strong innovation economy rests on three interconnected pillars: public research, private-sector R&D and deep-tech entrepreneurship.
• Public institutions undertake long-term research, universities develop knowledge and skilled talent, while corporations provide capital and industrial capabilities.
• Startups increasingly transform laboratory discoveries into marketable products.
• The growing interaction among these sectors is creating an integrated innovation pipeline, linking scientific research with industrial production and commercial applications.

Patent Growth: Progress with Important Limitations

• India’s patent filings increased from over 1,10,000 in 2024-25 to more than 1,43,000 in 2025-26, a 30.2% rise.
• Domestic applicants account for nearly seven in ten filings, indicating greater participation by Indian researchers, companies and institutions.
• Yet patent applications do not automatically translate into successful innovation.
• India had just over 2,40,000 patents in force in 2025, compared with approximately 5.7 million in China, 3.5 million in the U.S. and 2.1 million in Japan.
• India also spends less than 1% of GDP on R&D, substantially below China and the U.S. Increasing expenditure and improving the conversion of research into commercially successful technologies are therefore essential.

GaN Technology and Strategic Self-Reliance

• The development of Gallium Nitride-based semiconductor technology illustrates the strategic value of indigenous research.
• GaN-based MMICs are important for advanced radar, defence, space systems and next-generation communications.
• DRDO laboratories developed indigenous GaN capabilities, helping India reduce dependence on restricted foreign technologies.
• Technology transfer is now expanding GaN applications to 5G/6G infrastructure, electric vehicles and renewable-energy systems.
• The emergence of AGNIT Semiconductors, a spin-off from IISc, demonstrates how public and academic research can move towards commercialisation.
• Such developments strengthen technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

From Technology Implementer to Standard Setter

• India is also seeking a greater role in shaping global telecommunications standards. The Bharat 6G Alliance aims to contribute 10% of global 6G patents by 2030.
• Its members have made thousands of patent filings and increased technical contributions to 3GPP.
• Although applications are not equivalent to granted or standard-essential patents, participation in standards development can determine future market influence and intellectual-property ownership.
• The rise of Jio Platforms among major international patent filers indicates India’s growing effort to move from technology implementation towards standard-setting and intellectual-property ownership.

Deep-Tech Startups Expand the Innovation Frontier

• India’s startup ecosystem is increasingly moving beyond conventional digital services towards deep technology, advanced manufacturing and space innovation.
• Pixxel Space is developing hyperspectral imaging through satellite technology, while Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos are advancing indigenous launch technologies.
• Such ventures combine engineering expertise, scientific research and cost-efficient innovation.
• Government initiatives and private investment are particularly important because deep-tech companies face long development cycles, high capital requirements and substantial technological risks.

Healthcare Innovation and Inclusive Technology

• Innovation is also transforming healthcare. ImmunoACT’s NexCAR19, India’s indigenous CAR-T cell therapy, demonstrates the potential to make advanced cancer treatment considerably more affordable.
• Similarly, Remidio Innovative Solutions uses smartphone-based retinal imaging and AI to detect conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
• These examples reflect frugal innovation, where advanced technologies are redesigned for affordability, accessibility and large-scale deployment.

Bridging the Innovation-to-Market Gap

• India must address several structural weaknesses. R&D expenditure needs to rise, particularly private investment in high-risk research.
• Technology-transfer mechanisms between public institutions and industry must become more efficient, while patent examination capacity should expand.
• The most important challenge is the commercialisation gap between research and the first paying customer.
• Startups and researchers require better access to capital, testing facilities, manufacturing infrastructure, regulatory support and markets.
• Stronger industry-academia partnerships, standardised technology-transfer frameworks and patient capital can help bridge this gap.

Conclusion

• India is gradually moving from being a technology consumer and implementer towards becoming a technology creator and potential standard setter.
• Public research, corporate R&D and deep-tech entrepreneurship are increasingly reinforcing one another.
• GaN semiconductors demonstrate strategic technological capability; 5G/6G research reflects growing participation in global standards; while space and healthcare startups show the commercial and social potential of indigenous innovation.
• India may not yet be an innovation superpower, but it is increasingly developing the institutions, intellectual property, technological capabilities and enterprises needed to build an innovation-led economy.

A Homegrown Innovation Ecosystem is Taking Root FAQs

Q1. What are the three pillars of India’s emerging innovation ecosystem?

Ans. The three pillars are public research, private-sector R&D, and deep-tech entrepreneurship.

Q2. Why are rising patent filings not sufficient to measure innovation?

Ans. Patent filings do not necessarily result in granted patents, commercial products, or economic value.

Q3. Why is GaN technology strategically important for India?

Ans. GaN technology strengthens technological sovereignty in defence, communications, space and advanced semiconductor applications.

Q4. How are Indian startups contributing to technological innovation?

Ans. Indian startups are developing deep-tech solutions in space, healthcare, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing.

Q5. What is the major challenge facing India’s innovation ecosystem?

Ans. The major challenge is bridging the gap between research, patents and successful commercialisation.

Source: The Hindu

Graham Bill and the Crisis of Selective International Morality

Context

• The proposed Graham Bill, which seeks to target countries such as India and China for purchasing Russian oil, is an example of the selective application of international norms and the expansion of American coercive power.
• The central issue is not merely the use of secondary sanctions against third countries, but the broader question of sovereignty, democratic accountability, international law and strategic autonomy.
• Even if Russia is blamed for the Ukraine war and Iran’s regime is opposed, the US cannot legitimately impose costs on countries that did not start or control these conflicts.

The Democratic Accountability Deficit

• Externalising domestic failures:

  • The war with Iran has generated significant domestic criticism and global economic and security disruptions, yet the US political system appears unable to impose meaningful accountability on the executive.
  • Instead of scrutinising the conduct and consequences of war, the US Congress is portrayed as attempting to discipline other countries through sanctions.
  • This is equivalent to transforming inadequate accountability at home into coercive authority abroad.

• Executive power and congressional abdication:

  • The problem goes beyond Donald Trump as an individual. There is a broader historical pattern of executive discretion in US foreign policy and war-making.
  • The bipartisan support for measures targeting third countries is therefore presented as particularly significant.
  • Congress, rather than restraining executive power, is argued to have strengthened it, raising questions about the representative character of American institutions.

Selective Application of International Principles

• Unequal burden-sharing:

  • The Graham Bill allegedly assumes that the US can impose economic costs on countries that had no role in initiating a war and were not consulted in its conduct.
  • This highlights a perceived double standard:
    • The Bill reportedly seeks exemptions for US imports of low-enriched uranium, suggesting that Washington recognises the economic consequences of sanctions when they affect itself,
    • While expecting poorer countries to absorb higher energy costs.
  • Europe is also criticised for applying international-law principles selectively, particularly by prioritising Ukraine while responding differently to other conflicts, including Iran.

• “Arrogance of power”:

  • The Senator J. William Fulbright’s concept of the “Arrogance of Power” explains the recurring feature of American foreign policy.
  • This arrogance operates at several levels:
    • Power mistaken for virtue: Material power is treated as evidence of moral legitimacy.
    • Self-legitimating power: The powerful assume that others must justify their actions, while they themselves remain exceptions.
    • Resistance to self-restraint: Excessive confidence discourages acknowledgement of failure or compromise.
    • Epistemic overreach: Major powers may develop mistaken assumptions about how other societies and states will respond to coercion.
  • The Graham Bill is consequently portrayed as a legislative endorsement of this approach.

Limits of Coercive Power

• The US cannot necessarily determine the strategic choices of major sovereign states through economic pressure.
• The experiences of Ukraine and Iran demonstrate the continuing importance of state sovereignty and political agency.
• Attempting to compel countries such as India and China through sanctions may therefore generate resistance rather than global stability.
• Therefore, the US Congress should focus more closely on executive accountability and the consequences of American military intervention.

Way Ahead for India

• Protecting strategic autonomy:

  • The Graham Bill could pressure India to reduce its purchases of Russian oil, affecting energy security and creating a challenge for India’s strategic autonomy and its freedom to pursue an independent foreign policy.
  • However, strategic autonomy does not mean opposing the US. India can deepen India-US cooperation while retaining the freedom to disagree with Washington on issues affecting India’s national interests.
  • Excessive concessions to avoid US pressure could weaken India’s bargaining position and policy independence.

• Need for a principle-based foreign policy:

  • India should apply consistent principles such as sovereignty, non-interference, peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for international law across Ukraine, Gaza and Iran conflicts.

• Strengthening global partnerships:

  • Rather than depending excessively on any single power, India can strengthen ties with Russia, the EU, Japan, Gulf countries and the Global South.
  • This would increase its diplomatic space and resilience against external pressure.

Conclusion

• The Graham Bill highlights the limits of unilateral power, selective international norms, and the conflict between sovereignty and coercive diplomacy.
• Therefore, India’s strategic autonomy should not be reduced to transactional bargaining with major powers.

Graham Bill FAQs

Q1. What does the Graham Bill reveal?

Ans. It reflects the use of secondary sanctions and coercive diplomacy, raising concerns over selective application of international norms.

Q2. What is the concept of “Arrogance of Power”?

Ans. It refers to the tendency of a dominant power to equate material power with moral legitimacy.

Q3. How does the Graham Bill pose a challenge to India’s strategic autonomy?

Ans. It creates external pressure on India’s energy security, sovereign decision-making and independent foreign-policy choices.

Q4. Why is selective application of international law problematic?

Ans. It undermines credibility, sovereign equality and consistency of international norms.

Q5. How should India balance its relationship with the US with the principle of strategic autonomy?

Ans. India should pursue constructive India-US engagement while retaining independent policy choices, and diversifying partnerships.

Source: IE

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