United States' Oldest Research Varsity Johns Hopkins' Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII) to Work with India Inc. Fostering Innovation

Milton S. Eisenhower Library, Johns Hopkins University

The relationship between India and Johns Hopkins University has taken a new leap with the establishment of the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII), an organization that fosters multidisciplinary work between more than 165 faculty across 7 University schools and Indian partners on high impact global efforts. 

Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States. The research University named for its first benefactor, the American entrepreneur and philanthropist Johns Hopkins.

A leadership delegation from GKII is in India to further these ties through discussions with existing and potential partners and panel discussions. The first panel event was held in Mumbai today to discuss and explore opportunities to advance research and innovation and promote science for societal good. The session, “Tech for Good: India Inc.’s Commitment to Research and Innovation,” included noted industry leaders from India’s science and technology sector. 

From left to right - Tamanna Inamdar, Senior Editor, ET Now, Shekar Sivasubramanian, CEO, Wadhwani AI,  Viresh Prashar, Founder & CEO, Fruitfal, Dr. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay, Neera Nundy, Managing Partner & Founder, Dasra,  Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder & Joint MD, Bharat Biotech (joined virtually)

Keynote speaker, Dr. Saurabh Garg, CEO, UIDAI, and panelists including Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder & Joint MD, Bharat Biotech, Neera Nundy, Managing Partner & Founder, Dasra, Dr. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay, Shekar Sivasubramanian, CEO, Wadhwani AI, and Viresh Prashar, Founder & CEO, Fruitfal, highlighted the role of the private sector in creating opportunities and lowering barriers to interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and shaping emerging technologies of the future.

India’s investment in R&D is $48 billion per annum, ranking 7th globally. However, at 0.7% of GDP it falls short of the top 15, pointing to a role that the private sector can fill with increased engagement. The private sector in India contributes 37% of the total national R&D expenditure, as compared to other countries where the private sector contributes the most; China and Japan are at 77%, United States at 71% and Germany at 68%. Collaborative work will focus on efforts that advance science, foster stimulating partnerships in research and innovation, and promote private sector engagement.

From left to right - Tamanna Inamdar, Senior Editor, ET Now, Shekar Sivasubramanian, CEO, Wadhwani AI,  Viresh Prashar, Founder & CEO, Fruitfal, Dr. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay, Neera Nundy, Managing Partner & Founder, Dasra,  Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder & Joint MD, Bharat Biotech (joined virtually)

Speaking on this, Dr. Saurabh Garg, keynote speaker and CEO, UIDAI said, “The Indian Government has always been keen on public private partnerships in key sectors. We are ensuring that R&D becomes a critical part of both the start-up and the industrial policy. A key part of the Government role would be to build those pathways from the lab to research.”

Dr. Sunil Kumar, Provost, Johns Hopkins University said, "Moving the needle on private sector contribution to research will not only help India boost innovation, but it can also have an effect of making the Indian research ecosystem more attractive as a destination for research globally. It’s also important to provide incentives to scientists of Indian origin who are training or working elsewhere to return to set up labs in India. We believe that industry can work with the government and academia to enable this.”

One of the roles of the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute is to bring together Johns Hopkins’ faculty, staff, students, and alumni to engage with the private sector in India to learn and work on high quality, solution-based initiatives that can be employed globally for sustainable social impact. The collaboration with India Inc. as a key stakeholder is intended to spark new ideas and partnerships, leverage local, international and instructional resources, and promote interdisciplinary education opportunities. 

39% of India Inc. Employees Ready to Return to their Workplaces, Finds TimesJobs Survey

Around 39% of employees in the Indian formal sector are prepared to resume working from office premises amid unlock 5.0, found a TimesJobs survey. The survey titled, 'Back to Work After COVID', was conducted to understand the preparedness of both the employees and the employers. TimesJobs surveyed 1,268 employees and 863 HR managers working across different sectors.

Among the employers, nearly 51% of HR managers said that their firms could revoke the work from home policies soon. The rest 48% said that their firms could continue working remotely for some more time.

Here are the key takeaways from the 'Back to Work After COVID' survey:

• 23% organisations claimed that they are not yet prepared to resume their office even in unlock 5.0.
• 67% employers plan to provide cab facility to their employees for commuting to maintain social distancing
• 42% employers said that the future workplaces will have strict hygiene protocols as a standard mandate

"The TimesJobs survey findings indicate that organisations are all set to re-open their offices with an array of policy changes and a bunch of safety checks in place. While many employers are eager to get back to work to ensure the business continuity and manage employee productivity, it is certain that the work environment won't look the same as it was in the past. Companies will have to think how they wish to operate, innovate and compete while getting back to work", said Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig.

Other significant findings of the survey are: 

Companies to limit personal contact to ensure employee safety

A majority (65%) of HR managers plan to limit person-to-person contact to ensure safety at their workplace. Nearly, 53% surveyed professionals stated that the focus on hygiene protocols will increase. Almost 50% respondents said that temperature checks will be a mandate at their workplace. 37% said that they will reduce working hours of employees to facilitate cleaning and fogging thereafter.  

No access to cafeteria, gym, and breakout zone

Infrastructure-wise, around 89% of companies plan to implement changes such as placing workstations apart, installation of barriers between two workstations. Almost 69% of them plan to discontinue cafeteria services along with blocking specific areas such as gym, common space, breakout zone, etc.

Touch points such as doorknobs to get replaced by hands-free devices

Nearly, 55% of respondents stated that they will be installing sanitizers at close distances to maintain hygiene at workplace. Next, 59% of them revealed that they plan to replace the touch points (i.e. door knobs, attendance touch points etc) with hands free devices along with changing the surface materials regularly. 

Contact tracing and thermal imaging system to detect infected employees

As per 40% of HR managers, their firms plan to implement contact tracing to detect a COVID-19 infected person. As many as 36% of individuals said that they will initiate regular temperature checks of employees. While, 24% of participants said that their company will facilitate installation of thermal imaging system.

Organisations to take strict disciplinary actions to reinforce new workplace practices

A majority (48%) of the respondents said they will sensitise and educate their workforce about the new workplace conducts. Next, 27% of them revealed that they plan to take strict disciplinary actions against the employees who fail to adhere to the new protocols.

About TimesJobs:

TimesJobs is India's leading career portal, with a sharp focus on helping companies and businesses connect with competent professionals. With over 25 million registered job seekers across the board and more than 60 million page views every month, it is the most preferred career portal among the ambitious professionals who want to make smarter career decisions and accelerate their career progression.

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Invest India Actively Working on India Inc. Growth Strategies: Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India

According to Mr Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India- the National Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Invest India is actively working with industry to put together a strategy for business revival and economic growth, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Bagla made the comments while addressing around 150 stakeholders of the Indo-Canada business corridor, during a Webinar organized by the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC), the leading industry body representing the business interests of the said corridor which is presently valued at close to $10bn.

This was the second in a series of Webinars organized by ICBC to deliberate on the various aspects arising out of the global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

The third is slated for Wednesday, April 22 2020, on Cyber Resilience and Cyber Security during COVID-19, between 7.00 PM and 8.00 PM (IST).

Mr Sanjeev Mittal, Head of Scotia Bank in India, was also a key participant while Ms. Nadira Hamid, CEO, ICBC, moderated the hour-long session.

Responding to a question on the steps taken by Invest India during the crisis to help businesses, Mr Bagla pointed to the Business Immunity Platform created on their website even before the March 24 lockdown, which had addressed 3300 queries so far. The World Bank had also suggested the Business Immunity Platform of Invest India as a case study, he said.

Answering to queries as to what would be the benefits for Canadian companies looking to invest in India, Mr Bagla, said, “I believe in the next 24 months, Canadian exposure in India will be at least 3x or 4x of its present amount.” Emphasizing on why he thought so, he said, “Investment is based on three pillars: Business to Business, People to People and Government to Government. It’s one of those very few relationships, and this goes from both sides, where we have strength in all these three pillars. Frankly to my mind, so far we have not scratched the surface of this scenario.”

Mr Sanjeev Mittal, while commenting on the economic aspects involving ICBC and Invest India also emphasized on the importance of staying safe during the present COVID-19 situation. He said, “Everybody should stay safe and maintain social distancing. There have been advisories from all the governments and we should all ensure to adhere to the advisories and follow the guidelines.”

Speaking at the webinar, Nadira Hamid, CEO-ICBC said, “On a positive note, with every calamity comes opportunities and there will be a whole new sector and a whole new tomorrow.” Continuing on the aspect, she said, “It will be a New Normal because we’ll not be going back to the old normal and there will be a lot of opportunities in the New Normal.”

The ICBC and Invest India webinar emphasized on the fast-track mechanisms that have been put in place for ease of business and to aid in the coordination to bolster economic growth between the two countries.

The upcoming third webinar of the series on Cyber Resilience and Cyber Security during COVID-19 will be addressed by Mr Krishnanand Bhat, Chief Information Security Advisor (CISA), Nexdigm as well as Mr Vishal Vasu, Director & Chief Technology Officer, DEV IT.