Techno-Diplomacy

What is the issue?

Countries have started integrating techno-diplomacy as a major piece in their broader international diplomacy.

How far does India use this diplomacy?

• Techno-diplomacy is not an entirely new phenomenon, and has been used especially with nuclear technologies and military hardware and weapon systems.
• Technological capabilities can serve both hard power (in military and economic terms), and soft power.
• Due to technological and diplomatic constraints, India has generally been unable to wield its technology as an effective tool of diplomacy.
• This is set to change with the launch of the South Asia satellite by ISRO on May 5 2017.

What is the origin of the South Asia satellite?

• The origins of the South Asia satellite date back to the 18th SAARC Summit, in 2014 in Nepal, when Prime Minister Modi put forward the idea of a common satellite serving the needs of all SAARC members.
• There were numerous delays, primarily as negotiations among the various countries of the South Asia region stalled over ownership and data access issues.
• With Pakistan officially opting out of the project by March 2016, the decks were cleared for an expedited launch.
• The satellite has been designed and built by ISRO, with the full cost of the mission being borne by India.
• The satellite will carry 12 ku-band transponders allotted to the participating countries.
• Each country can use a dedicated transponder for its own use, which would primarily be communication and disaster management support.
• The satellite is similar to previous communication satellites designed and launched by ISRO, and technologically does not constitute a major breakthrough.

What is the diplomatic significance of the South Asia satellite?

• Along with previous missions such as Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission, the South Asia satellite underscores the strength of Indian indigenous technological development.
• India has begun realising that domestic technologies have now reached a level of maturity that allows India to confidently brandish its capabilities to other countries.
• It also serves as a marketing tool for future launches at a time when ISRO is building a strong niche for itself in the international satellite launch market.
• It reveals both India’s ambition and capability to create what can be termed “technological commons”.
• By “gifting” this satellite to its neighbours, India has created an open access resource that can be leveraged by the latter to address some of their critical domestic concerns.
• Building such commons is essential not only to address immediate problems but also spur research, innovation and economic growth in the region.

What is the way ahead?

• India must make a concerted effort to expand the range of technologies it can use as part of its diplomatic arsenal.
• India could also look at including biotechnology and green energy.
• Unfortunately, there has been a critical lag in the evolution of robust scientific and research institutions in these areas, particularly from a funding standpoint.

Source: Indian Express