Japanese Nobel Laureate Takaaki Kajita on Monday lauded India’s steady rise in the Global Innovation Index (GII) over the past decade, attributing the progress to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and emphasis on research and development.
Speaking at the International Conference on ‘India – Japan Next Generation Science and Technology Partnership: Academic and Research’ jointly hosted by Chandigarh University and the University of Tokyo, Kajita said Japan should learn from India’s rapid advancements in the field of R&D.
He also welcomed India’s growing focus on deepening Indo-Japan collaboration in science and technology. Kajita, along with 20 leading Japanese scientists, signed a resolution supporting joint partnerships in research and innovation.
India has made a sharp climb in the Global Innovation Index, moving from 91st rank in 2014 to 38th in 2025. In 2020, India was ranked 48th. Kajita noted that this improvement reflects a strengthened innovation ecosystem built on policy reforms, investments, and talent.
During his recent visit to Japan, PM Modi had urged greater synergy between Indian talent and Japanese technology to drive a new wave of innovation.
Days earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed confidence that India would break into the Top 10 in the GII rankings within the next three years.
Introduced in 2007, the Global Innovation Index is widely regarded as a key benchmark for assessing innovation across economies.
-IANS
