Mashelkar: Outgoing CEO of CSIR Dr R.A. Mashelkar’s Interview admabhushan Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, FRS, during his distinguished tenure of over eleven years as the Director General P of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), transformed the organization into a user-focused and performance-driven R&D platform that laid great stress on innovation-centred development. The CSIR’s changeover has been receiving accolades from all quarters— be it business houses, management experts, eminent scientists or political leadership. Dr Mashelkar will lay down his office on 31 December 2006, giving reins of CSIR to it s new Capt ain, Padmashri Dr V. Prakash, who, prior to his new assignment, was Director of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore. On the eve of relinquishing his office, in his interview given to Dr B.C. Kashyap, Editor of CSIR News, Dr Mashelkar talks about his impressions of the fantastic tenure that he had as the CEO of CSIR Inc. BCK: CSIR News congratulates Prof Jayant Narlikar in his book turnover, will relinquish your office you, on behalf of the whole CSIR ‘Scientific Edge” termed the CSIR as DG, CSIR at the end of family, on a fantastic tenure as transformation as one of the top ten December. How do you feel? Director General — the Chief Indian achievements of the past Executive Officer of CSIR. The century. RAM: It is a wonderful feeling to transformed CSIR is today receiving hand over the charge to Dr Prakash, accolades from all quarters— be it The World Bank has recommended a dynamic leader from within the business houses, management ‘CSIR as a model on how countries CSIR system. I have no doubt that experts, eminent scientists or can harness their top quality with his unbound energy, political leadership. scientific research institutions to the enthusiasm and commitment to task of industrial technology CSIR, he will take it to great heights. The cover story of one of the issues development, innovation, and global I am also delighted to see that Dr of Business India has observed: competitiveness’. Ramasami is the Secretary of “CSIR labs have been transformed Department of Science & by the power of enterprise and And Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Technology. We thus have two of the proactive management…” Then, in Singh in a CSIR Society meeting excellent leaders from within CSIR, ‘A Case Book of Companies in expressed his happiness at seeing Prakash and Ramasami, at the helm Transformation’ CSIR has earned the “CSIR flying higher and farther” of affairs of Indian Science. With laurel of being “World Class in India” and congratulated CSIR “ for the Harsh Gupta, again from CSIR, only for the transformation it has remarkable transformation into a recently relinquishing charge as managed in post-liberalized India. performance-driven and user- Secretary of Department of Ocean (together with Infosys, Wipro, focused organization”. Development, we are beginning to see science leaders from CSIR Hindustan Lever, Reliance, Ranbaxy emerging at a national level. That is and others). Sir, you, who orchestrated the CSIR a great feeling. 374 CSIR NEWS Mashelkar: Outgoing CEO of CSIR Three memorable moments of 1 July 1995 Clockwise from top left: • Taking over from Dr S. K. Joshi as DG, CSIR • Listening to the advice of Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam • Planning the next decade with Shri S.C. Kalra, Personal Secretary BCK: You have been leading CSIR accolades in both science and BCK: Coming back to the question, for over eleven years now. How was business by getting elected to Royal how do you compare CSIR of the it in 1995 and how is it in 2006? Society and also winning the JRD past, with the CSIR at present? Tata Corporate Leadership Award RAM: Well, 2005-06 has been great in the same year. RAM: CSIR of 1995 and that of 2006 for CSIR! It is an year in which we are two different entities. This had the highest number of scientific RAM: Yes, 1998 was a lucky year. I shows up in all its performance research papers with the highest was elected as FRS. Also that year, indicators, both tangible and quality ever. In terms of our I was given the JRD Tata Corporate intangible. earnings, we touched the highest Leadership Award. Aditya Birla and figure – with the private sector Narayanamurthy were the BCK: What are these tangible earnings also touching the highest earlier winners. Premji of WIPRO indictors? ever. So we have had the best year followed me. I often used to in both science and business! joke that I was sandwiched RAM: An organization engaged in between the great Narayanamurthy scientific and industrial research is BCK: Best in science and best in and the great Premji. This was the conventionally judged on the basis business is what you have achieved case of Saraswati getting of some standard parameters. Let all along! Let me remind you that in sandwiched with Lakshmi on either us look at them. As regards basic 1998, you yourself got the highest side! scientific research from 1995 to 30 DECEMBER 2006 375 Mashelkar: Outgoing CEO of CSIR 2005, we moved from 1576 to 3018 on own earnings. Our ambition also are a TEAM CSIR. There are more SCI publications. Our average underwent a sharp change. We than 55 networked projects, where impact factor per paper rose from hardly had any projects, which were anywhere from 3 to 19 laboratories 0.89 to over 2. The foreign patents over Rs. 20 crores. Now, we have are working together. CSIR talent portfolio held by CSIR moved from over 50 projects, some of them networks drawn across the nation 72 to 1251. We are thus building our reaching even Rs. 200 crores! In fact, are a powerful force to reckon with stock of intellectual capital that when I went to the Cabinet today. makes CSIR a valuable Committee on Economic Affairs organization. The earnings based on (CCEA) with the 135 crores SARAS BCK: How did you manage to our contract research increased aircraft project, that was the first create the spirit of this TEAM with the accumulated surpluses time in the history that CSIR had CSIR? (equivalent to the profit of an ever gone to CCEA –our first industry) crossing Rs. 400 crores, an project over 100 crores! Now, of RAM: I believe it was important to eight-fold increase! Today, we course, we have made it a habit to carry this message across the supplement Government funding go to CCEA! laboratories, not just across through our own earnings, the only Directors. I think I created a record R&D organization to do so! BCK: To an outsider, what are the by visiting all the 40 laboratories changes visible in CSIR? across the country within my very BCK: What were the other tangible first year as a DG! And there I just changes? RAM: All these numbers are fine – did not sit in the Boardrooms. I but I feel that there is a great ‘smell’ moved in the labs, where the real RAM: Our spending on capital to CSIR of today. When I took over action was. I addressed all the equipment moved from Rs. 25 as DG, CSIR, I found that our 40 members of the laboratory together crores to over Rs. 300 crores, which laboratories had behaved as 40 conveying this message of TEAM includes our own contribution based independent laboratories. Today, we CSIR. Keen observer during laboratory visits. Dr V. Prakash, DG (designate) and then Director, CFTRI, is in the background Always enthusing and guiding young scientists 376 CSIR NEWS Mashelkar: Outgoing CEO of CSIR Engaging with Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (2000) and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh (2005) BCK: Did ‘CSIR Vision 2001’, that We put quantitative targets for BCK: When you took over as DG- you articulated play any role? CSIR as a whole by 2001. This was CSIR, there existed a big cultural in terms of our earnings, patents, divide between the R&D institutions RAM: Yes, I believe this was an technologies, etc. The laboratories and the industry owing to the important milestone. We brought started thinking as to what each one missing science-business link from this out after a wide consultation of them could do to contribute to the Indian scene. Has it changed at with our stakeholders, both internal achieving this collective target of all? as well as external. I remember, Dr CSIR. In fact, I was very happy to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, our President, see that many laboratories came out RAM: Yes, indeed. There was a big was a member of the Advisory with their own Vision 2001 divide. For example, the products Board. He is a great friend and documents to align with CSIR Vision coming out of CSIR were packages guide for CSIR. When I spoke about 2001 containing knowledge and Vision 2001, he said, “Why don’t you information, whereas for industry, have Vision 2020?” I still remember BCK: When did you really feel that they are saleable goods and services. my response. I said, “I retire in TEAM CSIR had arrived? CSIR used to strive by scientific 2002. I will like to be judged before novelty, whereas the driver for I retire.” Of course, as it turns out, RAM: The most touching moment industry is market attractiveness I am retiring only in 2006. That is was on the 11 May 1998, when we alone. CSIR’s focus was on perceived another matter! had CSIR Directors’ Conference in needs, whereas industry only focuses Bangalore. The theme of that on market needs. And from this BCK: But how did the Vision Conference was TEAM CSIR.