Cabinet approves ‘technology group’ to advise govt on tech procurement

India’s cabinet approved the formation of a 12-member technology group on Wednesday to advise the government on the procurement and deployment of technology that is valuable for the economy and society, in conjunction with the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory (PM-STIAC).

The group will be chaired by principal scientific adviser to the government K VijayRaghavan, and include six secretaries from the technology and science departments along with five experts from the industry and academia, according to social media posts by VijayRaghavan.

The group will provide support on policy, procurement as well as research and development proposals, and develop in-house expertise on aspects of policy and use of emerging technology.

The constitution of the group will help address the silo-centric approach to the development of technology, and the development and application of standards. It will also help commercialise technologies and map those important for applications in the society and the industry, a government statement said.

The group will:

• Advise the government on priorities and strategies for research on emerging technologies across sectors
• Maintain an updated map of technology and technology products that are available and being developed across India
• Develop an indigenisation roadmap for selected key technologies
• Formulate policies for sustainability of public sector technology at public service undertakings/labs, encouraging collaborations with universities and private companies

In January, the government had also announced the formation of a National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) to help emerging technology startups grow in the country.