Hyderabad: Educational institutions should expand access to higher education, training and promote student achievements and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, said Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member of Niti Aayog and former chief of DRDO, while delivering a distinguished lecture titled “Strategy for Transforming India into an Innovation Society” on Monday at the Auditorium, School of Life Sciences.
During the lecture, Dr. Saraswat said that innovation needs collaboration which contribute to the development of the society and country.
He said that the Government of India (GOI) has declared 2010-2020 as the “Decade of Innovation” and the aim is to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and give boost to the development of innovation-led entrepreneurship in India.
He also stressed about the current challenges like fragmented policy and policy implementation, inadequate funding of R&D, fund processing, poor infrastructure facilities, etc that are coming in the way of innovation.
Dr. Saraswat mentioned about the strategy for Indian Innovation like creating competition, create trained and skilled workforce, provide funding, build strong links between industry, universities and public laboratories to convert domestic knowledge to commercial use.
He also said that we need to educate the next generation with 21st century knowledge and skills while creating a world class workforce.
Promoting competitive markets that spur productive entrepreneurship and developing an advance information technology ecosystem would be strategies for Indian innovation, he added.
Dr. Saraswat said that, innovations needs good leadership to take in the right direction. He said that the innovations require free thinking, financial support in their research for development of the country.
He also said that Educational institutions must nurture entrepreneurship right from 10+2 level. He also stressed the need for encouraging grass-root innovations and skill building amongst Indian youth and to develop manufacturing capabilities and design innovations.
GOI is working on the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) aggressively and the Government has to play a major role and make such strategies which should be helpful to the innovations.
UoH Vice-Chancellor Prof. P. Appa Rao said that it is a privilege to have a distinguished speaker like Dr. Saraswat at the University. Prof. Appa Rao said that without innovation the society wouldn’t have developed so much.
The University has been active with incubates at the Technology Business Incubator (TBI). Many number of patents have been filed by our faculty and few of them have been commercialized, said Prof. Appa Rao.
He also mentioned that in coming two months 20-25 thousand sft area is being proposed for the Biotechnology Incubation Cell.
Prof. V. Venkata Ramana, Coordinator TBI welcomed the speaker while Prof. P. Redanna, Dean, School of Life Sciences proposed a vote of thanks.
Later Dr. Saraswat and Prof. Appa Rao planted saplings at the TBI centre in the University. (INN)