On May 11th 1998 India set a precedent for the world of technology by declaring the date as the National Technology Day. The naming followed India's rise on the international scene by becoming the sixth member of an elite group of countries in the 'nuclear club'. The day is now celebrated annually across the country.
India's rapid emergence onto the global economic market can be viewed in terms of their acceptance of technology as one of the fastest growing sectors, and a sector which we are all increasingly reliant upon. The growth in the IT industry over the past decade can be attributed to a highly skilled and motivated workforce. In particular, India has benefitted from Business Process Outsourcing. The Technology Day is celebrated as a symbol of the innate pursuit for scientific advancement and technological innovation and how this also leads to improvements in society and industry. It is without question that India recognised and seized the importance of technology resulting in the country becoming a major player in the global market.
So do we all need to take heed of this lesson and declare our own appreciation of technology? The importance of technology for all countries is evident by observing the most important challenge for the future, the green energy technology race. China is currently second in the world as a producer of green energy. The Chinese government recognised that investing in green technologies is very much the future in financial terms. They have become a mass producer of solar cells and wind turbines not only for their own internal use, but also to export to the international markets which are under increasing pressure to invest heavily in green technologies. The US and UK are now realising that they need to increase and renew efforts to capture some of the green energy technology race to resist being left behind by the market. The competition is about to accelerate and an acknowledgement of the importance of technology such as a celebration National Technology Day can only help with awareness of the importance of scientific creativity and productiveness.
