Sunil Mani

* Post doctoral research in Economics (non-degree), Oxford University, 1994

* Ph.D in Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1991
* M.Phil in Applied Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1983
* M. A in Economics, Loyola College (Autonomous), University of Madras, 1981

The three themes are:

1. Measurement of innovation: Innovation or the commercial introduction of new processes and products are measured through a series of indicators such as R&D expenditures, patents granted etc. Such conventional indicators are increasingly eschewed as adequate measures of innovations by firms in both developed and developing countries as well. Increasingly the tendency is to talk in terms of innovation activities and expenditures other than mere R&D expenditures and this is covered through innovation surveys. Innovation surveys have now diffused very widely across developing countries. However these surveys suffer from two main problems: (i) poor response rates; (ii) serious measurement errors especially those part of the survey dealing with innovation activities and expenditures. Under the research theme, I am assisting the Department of Science and Technology of Government of India in conducting an innovation survey for India by drawing from the experiences of other developing countries such as Brazil and South Africa.

2. Innovation policy instruments: Innovation policy consists of a set of instruments and institutions that can together encourage the local development of technology and at the same time assist in the use of imported technologies. These instruments and institutions can be broadly divided into financial and non-financial. Innovation policy instruments can become effective only if the country in question has a sufficient number of scientists and engineers. Research done under this theme looks at the experience of India in a comparative perspective.

3. Telecommunications industry: The telecommunications industry is an important component of the Information and Communications Technology industry. The industry has two components or divisions. The first one deals with the manufacturing of telecom equipments while the second one deals with distribution of telecom services. Major technological changes have occurred in this industry affecting both the components. Two major changes are noteworthy. First, across the world including in India, we see that mobile telephones have overtaken fixed line telephones. Second, the Internet has penetrated into traditional telecommunications so much to say that we now refer to an Infocommunications industry. India along with a limited number of developing countries had sought to build local innovation capability in the design and manufacturing of essentially fixed line telephone technology. The changes to this innovation capability consequent to the larger technological changes taking place in the industry worldwide are tracked in this research by employing a sectoral system of innovation perspective. Again the analysis is in a comparative perspective by comparing the Indian experience against Brazil, China and Korea.

Dr. Mani, is Planning Commission Chair Professor in Development Economics at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum. Until 2004, he was a member of the faculty at the United Nations University-Institute for New Technologies (now known as UNU-MERIT) at Maastricht in the Netherlands He obtained his M.Phil and Ph.D. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and has done postdoctoral research at the University o