Arpita Mukerjee
Indian home-grown companies can play a key role in coming up with innovative products for virus attenuation
As the Indian economy tries to bounce back the economy after Covid-19, and the Union Budget 2022-23 laid down the vision of “Amrit Kaal”, where the country aims to be the third largest economy in the world, can we afford another lockdown from a new strain of virus?
In January 2022, post the double dose of vaccination several people got affected by Covid-19, although the fatality was lot less. This led to states like Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal to announce local lockdown measures. The threat of the pandemic is real, and it can come back in some form in the future. The only way forward to achieving our growth target and reach “Amrit Kaal” may be to have a better pandemic management. In this regard, Indian home-grown companies can play a key role in coming up with innovative products for virus attenuation.
The current strategy for tackling the virus is onenhancing “personal safety” through vaccination, masks, social distancing andclosing of schools, colleges, malls, workplaces. This is leading to manifold losses. Travel and tourism came to a halt. Malls and offices had to close down. Students could not go to schools and colleges. For students, going to school helps in enhancing social skills, joint project participation, clearing doubts and learning by doing in laboratories. One cannot eat in a restaurant without opening the mask. Therefore, there is need for more holistic product development and policy approach focusing on “Mass Safety” in buildings and enclosed spaces.
A recent survey by ICRIER found that a few Indian start-ups have come up with products for “Mass Safety”, which uses innovative technologies for bio-defence and virus attenuation. Some of these products have gone through proper due diligence, laboratory testing and certification and are now being used in the domestic market and are exported. For example, Shycocan, a coronavirus and influenza virus attenuation device, is exported to UAE (Dubai), Oman, Kuwait, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Europe, South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, and Ghana. It is being used by companies such as Jubilant Lifesciences, Jubilant Ingrevia, Wallace Pharmaceuticals, DRDO, Indian Army and by retail businesses, restaurants and entertainment hubs. It has also helped schools and colleges reopen safely. However, for such use and to scale-up these” Make in India” products, there is need for government approval, support and right policies.
During the consultations, respondents pointed out that to grow in a relative new area like technology for bio-attenuation, companies can only become successful globally by becoming successful in their home country first.Support of the government will accelerate the scale-upand this support can be subject to proper due diligence like evaluation of the laboratory test reports and certifications. Further, the consultation felt clarity on the right nodal agency for bio-defence and virus attenuation products approval will be extremely beneficial for start-ups. During the consultations, stakeholders pointed out that they face three key issues: First, as this is a new category of devices, there is uncertainty on the correct ministry/nodal department who should be approached; second, with no clear set of guidelines, even the departments approached are unable to support the start-ups and third, they are unable to get the processes and requirements online.
Unlike large firms, start-ups have limited bandwidth to do physical visits to ministries and departments. Therefore, for ease of doing business there is a need to set up a streamlined process for evaluation and support of innovative products. Indian start-ups must compete globally, and policy support will help them to scale-up. Indian companies are coming up with innovative technologies and India is the third largest technology start-up hub in the world.
One nodal agency like DPIIT could fast-track the processes of approval by coordinating with other ministries/ department, according to the stakeholders. India cannot afford to let go the multi-million-dollar opportunities to create Unicorns in innovative technologies, through delays in approval process. India is signing trade agreements at a fast pace. The trade deal with the UAE was signed in a record time and negotiations with the UK and Australia, will close soon. Consultations revealedthat the trade deals are a lucrative opportunity for innovative firms provided the domestic processes are in place and the Government endorses indigenous technologies by start-ups. India needs to put in its domestic processes in place and then seek mutual recognition in standards and processes in key export markets. The Government can be an enabler to help Indian companies emerge as leaders in this area like Bio-Attenuation.
The writer is a professor at ICRIER. The views expressed are personal.)
