Science and Business of Science

science-and-business-of-science

“Science is seldom thought of as a business, but as the foundation for everything that exists in this world, it’s arguably the single most important business of all.”
         – Olivier Dumon, Veteran Internet Entrepreneur

When my colleagues and I in the MM Activ media team started conceptualising a magazine for the Nutritionals and Nutraceuticals sector about a year ago, we were debating over many ideas about its nature. Should it be like a popular science magazine, should it be like a serious science journal, or a straight forward business magazine for the sector?

The answer lies in our Vision for MM Activ which was conceived at the turn of the new millennium. In 1999, I was fortunate to meet Dr R A Mashelkar, the then Director General of CSIR and easily one of the most visionary personalities of New India. The interaction changed the course of business for us as he influenced me and my colleagues to look at the emerging India that was pregnant with tremendous opportunities in various streams of Science and Technology. As the General President of Indian Science Congress 2000, he challenged us to use our creative abilities to develop programmes that would connect Scientific fraternity, Industry, Academia and Regulatory bodies to ultimately benefit society. This became our mission and MM Activ Sci-tech Communications was born.

Over the years, MM Activ has engaged with some of the most reputed Institutions, progressive governments and prolific personalities from Academia and Industry and developed many leading Sci-tech forums covering a wide spectrum from Life Science to Aerospace and Defence. Thus our entry into print and online Media in the sci-tech arena is a natural progression. It is probably the most effective vehicle that connects people and compared to any other business, science probably depends more upon publishing, right from 1456 when the oldest known scientific work was printed.

 

Thus the evolution of NuFFooDS Magazine and Portal is the outcome of our decade long engagement with the sector since the 1st edition of Nutraceutical Summit was hosted in Mumbai under the Chairmanship of Dr V Prakash, then Director of CFTRI and presently Distinguished Scientist of CSIR India. He championed this sector which was caught in government apathy and an Industry that was losing confidence in India’s ability to become one of the influential nations in NuFFooDS sector, globally. The country despite its vast and in-depth traditional knowledge, with rich human resource and entrepreneurial abilities was indeed missing the opportunity to offer science based nutrition and health solutions to the world. Thanks to Dr Prakash and the support of many leading lights from the Scientific world and Industry, Nutraceutical Summit in its new avatar as Nutra India Summit has become a platform to develop unified vision for India in Nutraceuticals, Nutritionals and Naturals.

NuFFooDS Spectrum is the outcome of the team inside the organisation and more so a larger team outside -that consists of friends, philosophers and guides, well-wishers and of course, critics. I am grateful to all of them for their inputs that have shaped up the magazine to its present form.

NuFFooDS Spectrum is a right mix of science and business of science. We are committed to offer to the readers the latest news, capture emerging trends thereby giving thought leadership, with unbiased reporting, neutral platform and balanced coverage of the sector. To strictly adhere to these qualities, and dynamically give us direction, we have formed an advisory board consisting of veterans from Science, Academia, Industry and Government.

NuFFooDS may therefore be perceived as a catalyst and if needed critique too, providing an open space for free and healthy interaction that should ultimately help the NuFFooDS sector in India to grow to a position of global leadership. The magazine will provide varied perspectives on issues related to Science, Business, Regulatory and more. It is for the industry to use this platform and grow into an influential voice.

On a personal note it is like coming full circle. In the mid-eighties when I stepped into professional world, I was fortunate to join one of the highly respected Media Groups in New Delhi and probably the seeds of my own media house were sown then. As I once again turn media professional it is gratifying, yet challenging to create a media house that will make meaningful contribution to India’s march ahead through our commitment to Science, Technology and Innovation. Your complete support is solicited and candid criticism is invited to realize this dream.

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Positioning India as a leader in the world of “New Foods” through “NuFFooDS”: Dr V Prakash, FRSC, Distinguished Scientist of CSIR-India, Chairman, Advisory Board, NuFFooDS Spectrum

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