The Innovator

Sai Prabha Kamath in a rare conversation with india’s foremost technocrat Dr Raghunath A Mashelkar, who believes it is the power of ideas—not the size of the budget—that fuels innovation

- Sai Prabha Kamath

It’s not often you get to meet one of the greatest scientists and nation-builders of our times. Thus, the task of interviewing India’s foremost technocrat Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar was admittedly daunt-ing. Not to mention that researching this multifarious personality turned out to be a never-ending exercise!

 

A good omen, however, was the date of our interview, 27 July—the first death anniversary of legendary scientist-former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam—making our meeting extra special. Dressed impeccably in a dark blue suit, Dr Mashelkar receives us warmly in his spotless and sophisticated office on Pune’s Baner Road, unmindful of our early arrival. And as we begin to understand the man behind the scientist, a shloka from the Ramayana comes to mind: Janani Janma-bhoomischa Swargadapi Gariyasi (Mother and motherland are superior to heaven).

Over the years, the 73 year-old’s life and career have reflected this belief. Brought up by his poor, widowed mother, he strived to fulfil her wish—of scaling great peaks in education. In 2010, in her memory, he instituted the annual Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award under the aegis of the International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I) (of which he is president), in an effort to fuel ultra low-cost solutions for the poor and elderly.