“Technology innovation can make a difference to social innovation,” Mashelkar said, adding that such an innovation would happen by keeping in mind “the price performance envelope, worrying about the bottom of the pyramid and experimentation.”

“India so far operated at high market and technology certainty, but the need of the 21st century innovation is operating in a reverse environment, taking risks, encouraging private sector partnership, preparedness to buy new technology and learning by doing and doing away with the either or attitude,” he said.

“The eye in India is for inhibition, imitation and not innovation,” he said, explaining why the opening of India in terms of liberalisation, with policy changes gave India its second freedom in 1991.

Mashelkar added that education should be based on innovation, analysis and synthesis. “Teaching personnel is among the five most critical areas for India to address and that includes top technology colleges of the country,” he also said.