By encouraging original research and safeguarding intellectual ownership, technology can remain a tool for human empowerment rather than a cage of dependency, writes Manish Okade
India has been at the forefront of research, innovation, and ownership from ancient times when mathematicians like Brahmagupta did not just view zero as a placeholder, they researched its properties as a number.
The transition from research (seeking the truth), to innovation (applying that truth in a new way), to ownership (establishing the foundations of a new field) have been the engine of growth that India was at the forefront in its formative years. Ramanujan redefined the ‘zero’ of mathematics while JC Bose redefined the ‘sensitivity’ of biological and physical systems. In the digital age, Sabeer Bhatia was at the forefront in starting up with email and the Hotmail service.
Shift to Technical Ownership
In the modern era, technology is often viewed as a finished product: a sleek smartphone, a seamless app, or a helpful AI. For the average person, these are tools to be used. However, a crisis is brewing within the engineering world. As systems become more complex, many professionals are becoming ‘digital consumers’, ie, highly skilled users who assemble premade parts rather than invent new ones.
To ensure long-term economic growth and intellectual sovereignty, a fundamental shift is required: moving from a culture of consumption to a culture of creation and ownership.
‘Black Box’ Trap
For decades, the hallmark of a great engineer was the ability to build from the ground up. Today, much of that has changed. The rise of ‘plug-and-play’ software and ready-made hardware components has made it easier than ever to build something, but harder than ever to understand everything.
When engineers rely solely on existing tools without understanding their inner workings, they fall into the ‘Black Box’ trap. They become dependent on the companies that own the underlying technology. Philosophically, this diminishes the spirit of discovery. If a person only knows how to drive a car but has no idea how the engine functions, they are forever at the mechanic’s mercy. In the global economy, the countries and individuals who only drive technology will always pay a premium to those who know how to build the engine.
Philosophy of the Creator
At its heart, engineering is a creative pursuit, much like painting or architecture. The creator mindset is driven by first-principles thinking, ie, the habit of breaking a problem down to its basic truths and building a solution from there. This approach is not just about being smart; it is about a different relationship with the world. A consumer sees a problem and looks for a manual. A creator sees a problem and looks for a blueprint.
This sense of enquiry and the belief that one can originate a new way of doing things is the primary driver of human progress. It transforms work from a series of repetitive tasks into a journey of constant research and innovation. It is this spirit that several institutions aim to foster, encouraging students to look beyond existing textbooks and contribute to the global body of knowledge.
Economic Rewards
While the philosophical rewards of creation are immense, the economic rewards are even more significant.
In the professional world, there is a sharp divide between those who sell their time and those who own their ideas.
When an engineer creates a new process, a unique design, or a novel piece of software, they generate Intellectual Property (IP). This is the ‘economic moat’ that protects a career or a company. According to a 2022 report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), global patent filings reached record highs, with nearly 3.5 million applications filed in a single year.
This surge is not just about paperwork; it represents a global race for ownership.
Ownership changes the power dynamic. An engineer who simply implements a project is a temporary participant. An engineer who authors a patent or a foundational research paper becomes a permanent stakeholder in that technology’s future. For the common man, this means that the stability of a nation’s economy depends on its ability to produce ‘IP-heavy’ industries rather than just service-based ones.
Research as a Daily Habit
The transition from consumer to creator begins with research. This does not always mean wearing a white coat in a laboratory; it means maintaining a rigorous curiosity about the tools we use daily. Innovation happens when someone asks, “Why was it built this way, and could it be better?” This requires a move away from the ‘subscription model’ of thinking. Instead of renting solutions, the next generation of professionals must be encouraged to author them.
This involves documenting new findings, sharing original research, and moving away from the safety of the ‘standard way’ of doing things.
Future Driven by Innovation
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) begins to handle the routine tasks of coding and basic design, the value of the ‘Consumer Engineer’ will inevitably decline. What cannot be automated is the spark of original creation – the ability to synthesise new ideas and claim ownership over them.
It is now time to focus on deep tech like AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, Industry 4.0, Space tech, agri tech, just the way India led the world in IT in the late 90’s and early millennium.
The goal for society is to move towards a future where we are not just a planet of users, but a civilization of architects. By valuing original research and protecting ownership, we ensure that technology remains a tool for human empowerment rather than a cage of dependency. Whether in government-based research labs like ISRO, DRDO, BEL or the labs of academic institutions, the mission remains the same: carry out world-class research, innovate, and own. This will be enablers for India’s growth story of self-reliance and a developed nation.
(The author is associate professor, Electronics and Communication Engineering, NIT Rourkela)