Economics

Expert Roundtable 5 Can China and India Innovate?

The debate's fifth question is, Will either or both become leaders in technological innovation? And if so, in what fields?

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August 22, 2005 at 4:00 AM UTC

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This summer, BusinessWeek brought together 13 of the smartest people we could find for an online roundtable on the past, present, and future of China and India (). On each of eight days, we posted a new question. Economics Editor Peter Coy moderated the discussion. The experts communicated both with us and with each other on everything from geopolitics to generation gaps. Now we're sharing the discussion with you -- and invite you to offer your comments. Please note that not all 13 participated every day, and comments have been edited for style and clarity.

With some exceptions, China and India have been "fast followers" in technology rather than innovators. Will either or both of the countries become leaders in technological innovation? And if so, in what fields?