Arogyaswami Paulraj, Professor (Emeritus), Stanford University, recently met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The Pollachi-born engineer, whose invention Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless communications, is regarded a breakthrough that is at the core of WiFi and 4G/5G mobile networks, shares his thoughts on how Tamil Nadu can play an important role in India’s move towards the deep tech sector. Excerpts from an interview.
What is your view of Tamil Nadu from a technology perspective?
Tamil Nadu is strong in manufacturing segments like auto, wind turbines, and electronics assembly, as well as in IT services. We should strengthen the other verticals and scale up the revenue base. Many of our industries are in partnership with multinationals, and we need to encourage them to increase local value addition, particularly in electronics and precision manufacturing. Much of our current base is medium tech and we should now aspire to rise to the deep tech sector that involves R&D-intensive high-tech manufacturing. These are the crown jewels of advanced countries. Some examples of this sector are computer and telecom equipment and semiconductors, advanced instrumentation, commercial jets, and patented (branded) pharmaceuticals. The U.S.-China competition is largely around who will dominate this sector. The deep tech sector is extremely difficult to enter and is also globally intertwined, and no nation is self-sufficient. This industry needs highly skilled manpower, and the participating companies develop key Intellectual property and therefore command high profit margins. This in turn facilitates huge R&D investments and continued dominance.
