India model for innovation, science and technology: Africa
New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Terming India as a role model in innovation, science and technology, African leaders said here on Wednesday that India's ecosystem has developed over the last two decades and it can inspire Africa too.
"India has great inspiring entrepreneurs like Tatas, Ambanis, and the Adanis. As a result, India is today seen as a top destination for innovation, R&D and technology development," Ghana's Minister of Trade and Industry Eknow Spio-Garbrah said during the India-Africa Business Forum.
"Given that India and Africa face similar development challenges, both sides can benefit through knowledge and technology sharing," he said, adding, "India can play a critical role in building an analogous innovation led entrepreneurial culture in Africa."
Apart from Spio-Garbrah, Congo's Minister for Small and Medium-Sized business Pancrace Boongo Nkoy, and Economic Advisor of the Namibian president also spoke on the same lines.
"Through an institutional mechanism, Indian innovations can be transferred to African entrepreneurs and capacities can be built within these entrepreneurs to set-up business around the transferred innovations," Nkoy said.
"The Indian innovation ecosystem has developed manifolds over the last two decades fuelled by an enabling infrastructure provided by the Indian government as well as the private sector," he added.
"Concept of innovation and education are different in Africa. 'How things are being made and not how it is made' is taught is Africa. India is an inspiring partner and we look up to them," Spio-Garbrah said.