Narayana Murthy: UK, India Must Co-Create Innovative Tech to Empower the World

According to Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, science and innovation must be at the heart of India's bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom.

Key Highlights

• Murthy urges UK-India to co-create technologies promoting global empowerment, emphasizing ethics and sustainability.
• He proposes UK-India innovation corridors led by Imperial College, uniting startups, universities, and industries

He stated that the two countries were united not only by their shared history, but also by their shared future, which was founded on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. "As we look ahead to 2040, it becomes clear that science and innovation must be the cornerstones of our bilateral relationship, as well as a beacon for building global resilience," the Infosys founder said on Wednesday at the launch of Imperial Global India, the Imperial College's India hub in Bangalore.

Murthy urged both countries to aim high. "Let us establish UK-India innovation corridors led by Imperial College, with seamless networks of startups, universities, research institutions, and industries collaborating across borders." Let us collaborate to develop technologies that empower people around the world while upholding ethics, equity, and sustainability."

According to the Infosys founder, the world faces unprecedented grand challenges such as potable water, clean air, education, renewable energy, healthcare, including dengue and chikungunya vaccines, low-cost but robust infrastructure, climate change, pandemics, food insecurity, and the digital divide. "These are not the problems of any single nation. These are the world's problems. And to address them, we must shift from transactional to transformative partnerships," he said.

"The names Isaac Newton, James Maxwell, Alan Turing, and Adam Smith alone demonstrate that the United Kingdom has always made significant contributions to cutting-edge research. The United Kingdom continues to nurture world-renowned research institutions, cutting-edge ideas in climate change, AI and computing, the biotech ecosystem, healthcare, leading-edge ideas, and an innovative culture. "The Imperial College, ranked second in the world among STEM education and research institutions, is an aspiration for every Indian researcher pursuing STEM subjects," Murthy stated.

"On the other hand, India contributes vast talent with a strong desire to learn, frugal innovation, a successful digital economy, and thriving AI applications. Together, we form a powerful force capable of driving breakthroughs that benefit not only our countries, but the entire world."

Narayana Murthy explained that our convergence in science and innovation was more than just discovery. "It's all about resilience. We aim to leave a healthier, smarter, and more sustainable world for future generations."The journey to 2040 begins now."