It is not only internationally that this change has taken place; it is also within India that this change is apparent.  In the list of top hundred companies based on market capitalization, Narayanamurthy is in the top five. Someone who was not born in families of Tatas or Birlas, and someone who started with a meager investment, now occupies such a position due to knowledge economy. When we look at words like trade related aspects of intellectual property systems, you will find some interesting in this.

 Q. What is the kind of speed knowledge is growing with?

 Knowledge is becoming dominant, but it is not knowledge per se, it is usable knowledge. That, which is protected or protect-able, that is becoming important. Knowledge is exploring, it is doubling up. Whatever knowledge we had until the year 2000, equal amount of knowledge will be generated in the next ten years. Walter Gilbert, noble laureate used to say sometime ago, we used to talk about gene of the year, little while ago we started talking about gene of the month, and now perhaps we will talk about gene of the day. It is not the generation of knowledgeit is the dissemination of knowledge that is taking place at a fantastic rate. In one minute 2 million  e-mail messages will be sent. In 24 hours 37 million people around the world would have logged on to the net. So this the amazing speed at which things are moving. 

 Q. Is the distribution and utilization of knowledge equal for all?

 While knowledge is getting generated at this pace, this globe of 6 billion is growing and producing huge asymmetries in terms of production and distribution of knowledge. For example, General Motors R&D budget is 8 billion dollars while entire Indias R&D budget is less than 3 billion dollars. You will also find that the private sector involvement in generating this knowledge is huge to the tune of 60%-65% in OECD countries. They are worried about profits; maximum returns, giving values to their shareholders. Very rarely does one think about giving value to the society. When maximization of profits becomes the key driver the knowledge production activity also shifts. Eg: a drug co why would they work on Malaria? They would work on diseases giving them profits. Therefore you have an asymmetry. In 1998 70 billion $ were spent on healthcare hardly any part was spent on diseases for the poor. Knowledge asymmetries are where very few are spending large sums, when new knowledge is not getting generated for the poor, and that is a challenge that we have to meet.

OECD countries have 40 times more PCs, 110 more mobile phones and 1600 more Internet connections. How many of you know that 1 out of 2 persons have never used a telephone? While the number telephones in the Manhattan city alone are more than the number of telephones in the entire Africa. A very famous leader of industry said that mundane product can be made by anyone, anywhere but when this product has knowledge, that is propriety it is dynamite and we protect it all costs with care.

 Q. What do you think would be the future scenario vis-a-vis knowledge, and how does it compare with the current situation?

 The new wars are not going thermo nuclear wars, but will be based on propriety knowledge. Now the concern comes in that what will happen to the poor. People feel that knowledge should be accessible to everybody, but the inventor feels that he should get returns. The society says to the patent holder that please disclose the knowledge to us, so in return to disclosing this knowledge, the patent holder expects something for a limited period of time. Society in return provides him that incentive. The burning question seems to be balancing the interest of the inventor and that of the society