Karnataka, Manipur and Chandigarh have topped in their respective categories in the third edition of Niti Aayog’s India Innovation Index. While Karnataka has topped again in the ‘Major States’ category, Manipur is leading the ‘Northeast and Hill States’ category and Chandigarh is the top performer in the ‘Union Territories and City States’ category.
The India Innovation Index is intended to contribute to the Government’s effort in monitoring select global indices, which are pertinent to drive the reform and growth mechanism, for which the Niti Aayog is the nodal organisation. It is prepared by the Aayog and the Institute for Competitiveness. Expert believes that innovation is the key to sustainable and inclusive growth.
It will help us solve the biggest challenges of our times, bringing millions out of poverty, generating livelihood opportunities, and paving the way for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The overall India index was pegged at 14.56. As per the report, this score is arguably low but the Government think-tanks are ambitious to enter into the top 25 nations on the Global Innovation Index (GII). The report says, “Although India’s performance has improved on the GII over the years, in order to achieve ambitious target, the country needs to traverse the distance.
To draw conclusions, one needs to delve deeper into the analysis.” Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are among the top five performers in the Major States category. Telangana, which got 4th rank in 2019 and 2020, and Haryana which got was ranked 5th and 6th last two times, are ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively this time. As the report says, the reason for Karnataka topping the list is attributed to its peak performance in attracting FDI and large number of venture capital deals. Uttar Pradesh scaled two spots and was ranked 7th this time compared to the last assessment. The state along with Haryana has made significant gains in promoting an innovative business environment with a large base of internet subscribers and a safe ecosystem.
The index was first released in 2019 and has played an important role in improving India’s ranking in the GII. India which was ranked 81 in GII 2015, was ranked 46th in the GII 2021, prepared by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.The index is a comprehensive tool for the evaluation and development of the country’s innovation ecosystem. It ranks the states and the UTs on their innovation performance to build healthy competition among them.
The third edition highlights the scope of innovation analysis in the country by drawing on the framework of the Global Innovation Index. The number of indicators has increased from 36 (in 2020) to 66 (in 2021). The indicators are now distributed across 16 sub-pillars, which, in turn, form seven key pillars.
“Innovation is critical in promoting the country’s resilience and self-reliance. The index points to the decentralisation of innovation across all Indian states,’ said Neeraj Sinha, Senior Advisor in Niti Aayog. According to Amit Kapoor, Chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness Chairman, “The index also draws some international parallels, which will add to India’s learning and how we can be on a par with our counterparts.”
