Question: India signed a pact with which country for joint program on Smart City and Clean technologies recently?
(a) Sweden
(b) China
(c) Netherland
(d) Italy
Answer: (a)
Related facts:
- India and Sweden will collaborate on a Joint Industrial Research & Development programme for addressing a range of challenges around smart cities and clean technologies as per a pact signed on 11th April, 2019.
- This Indo-Swedish pact was signed in the AI for All Summit.
The Pact:
- The programme was co-funded by Indian Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Swedish agency Vinnova.
- As a grant, Vinnova will provide funding to Swedish participants up to 2,500,000 Swedish Krona (around Rs 1.87 crore) while a conditional grant of up to 50 per cent (with a limit of Rs 1.5 crore) per project will be provided to the Indian partners.
- The India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme will see Swedish and Indian innovators work together and develop solutions that benefit both sides.
- Triple Helix model of innovation involves participation of government, industry and academia. This would be useful as these partners can work together towards using new technologies like artificial intelligence to develop solutions that help meet goals of sustainable development.
- Swedish companies like Volvo and Ericsson that have been present in the Indian market from a long time and newcomers like IKEA also have aggressive expansion plans for Indian market.
- Sweden has also stressed on the need for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union for ease of doing business for companies.
Links: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/india-sweden-ink-pact-to-collaborate-on-solutions-for-smart-cities-clean-tech/articleshow/68831612.cms
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/india-sweden-ink-pact-to-collaborate-on-solutions-for-smart-cities-clean-tech/article26804938.ece