Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (I/C) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh has called for bilateral collaboration between India and Sweden at multiple levels. He said, Sweden is one of the global leaders in innovation. In Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, Sweden ranks 2nd among the 39 economies in Europe and among the 133 global economies featured in the GII 2024.

Dr Jitendra Singh was addressing the 11th India Sweden Innovation Day (ISID) function. The theme for 2024 is “Accelerating Green Growth for Inclusive Transition”.

Informing the audience about the growth of the country in the field of innovation, Dr Jitendra Singh said, “India is climbing rapidly on innovation indices. In GII 2024, India ranks 1st among the 10 economies in Central and Southern Asia and 39th among the 133 economies, he said.

Similarly, on the other hand, the Union Minister noted that Sweden too is one of the global leaders in innovation. In Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, Sweden ranks 2nd among the 39 economies in Europe and among the 133 global economies featured in the GII 2024, he said. He expressed hope that the country will certainly catch the top echelons of the world in the years to come.

Speaking about the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi aiming at global benchmarks in research and innovation, the Minister said, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has already announced the net zero carbon footprint target of 2070 and therefore I think India and Sweden can cooperate and collaborate at different levels both government as well as non-government sector.” There is a bundle of scope for the two nations for joint research calls to collaborate on deliverable research, academia, innovation and industrial entrepreneurship, including startups.

Speaking about strides in the sector, Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned, “I am also proud to note that over the last ten years, under the patronage of Prime Minister Shi Narendra Modi, there has been a special impetus and high prioritisation as far as science technology innovation is concerned. India Today is it in a position to claim to be a frontline nation in different areas, for example the space sector we plan to send a human being next year, the first human mission indigenously developed by India, and at the same time next year we hope to send on Indian human 6,000 metre deep as a part of the deep-sea mission.

Research & Innovation have been the important aspect of the flourishing India Sweden partnership. The 11th edition of ISID reflects the ongoing importance & success of our ongoing partnerships. The continued presence of the Minister at the ISID inauguration since 2021 is a strong signal of the importance attached by India to its innovation partnership with Sweden.

Several Indian and Swedish government agencies partnering and jointly funding these calls (eg. DST, DBT). That includes extensive and growing research cooperation between Indian and Swedish universities. Leading Swedish universities like Karolinska, KTH, Chalmers and others have ongoing cooperation with leading Indian universities. This can be further strengthened by involving the private sector also.

In addition, several Swedish companies carry out R&D and innovation in India. Alkem Laboratories, which is pioneering the high-tech medical devices segment, has partnered with Swedish company Biosergen for clinical trials of fungal diseases. There is also growing cooperation between research, education, government and private sector in India, including vaccines, digital public infrastructure and defence.

Use of Technology & innovative solutions scaling up Development interventions in the country, Dr Jitendra Singh said, "India and Sweden are strengthening partnership in green technology through initiatives like LeadIT 2.0, focusing on low-carbon industrial transitions, sustainable energy, and smart transport.” This collaboration, highlighted at COP28, supports green innovations in sectors like steel, cement, and aviation, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.

Venus Mission – Sweden has officially joined ISRO’s Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM). The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are collaborating on a Venus mission. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) will provide ISRO with the Venusian Neutrals Analyser (VNA), a lightweight and low-power yet highly effective energetic neutral atom (ENA) analyser.

India’s active participation in several international Mega Science projects – capabilities of Indian scientists, engineers and companies. Going forward, the Minister said, “India, an unmatched source for Innovation, R&D and Talent and there is huge scope for bilateral collaboration for scalable, cost-effective development solutions for energy and health challenges.”

The event was well attended by senior officials, innovators, industry leaders and academia of the both countries, which was also addressed by Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Energy and Enterprise of Sweden Ms Ebba Busch. Ambassador of Sweden to India, Mr Jan Thesleff also took part through video conferencing.

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