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economic development and job crea- of engineering graduates each year, year, while many smaller nations are
tion. Keeping this in view, Innovation the need of the hour is to provide the ahead of India. We need to focus on
and Entrepreneurship Division of De- right ecosystem for new ideas, break- reorienting our higher education sys-
partment of Science and Technology throughs and innovations to make tem, particularly of the engineering
(DST) has been supporting technolo- India the leader in start-ups and tech- and scientific streams, to ensure that
gy-based startups through its flagship nology-driven high growth ventures. the students who pass out from these
programme of “Technology Business Therefore, it cannot be business as usu- institutions come up with creative and
Incubator”. al. We have to press the accelerator to innovative solutions to the problems
He repeated that innovation, incu- be in the forefront of a new technology- faced by the country and the world
bation and start-ups are the buzz words driven world that will set the pace for at large.
in today’s world and countries and the future. Teaching-learning methods should
societies which are knowledge-centric Of course, technology-based new be transformed as learning by facilita-
and technology-driven will play an enterprises face high risk and they tion where students learn actively with
increasing role in the global economy. require an enabling environment like peers. We have to keep innovating our
“For us in India, this is the time to seize NIDHI-Centre of Excellence (NIDHI- curricula, infrastructure, pedagogy,
the opportunity and promote the cul- CoE) to enhance the prospects of their teaching and examination methodol-
ture of innovation and technology- success. He said that the primary objec- ogy and our technology tools. The chal-
based entrepreneurship. tives of NIDHI-CoE are aimed at pro- lenges faced by the modern world are
“We have to stay ahead of the curve multi-dimensional.
if we have to play a meaningful and There is increasing urbanization and
important role in the 4th Industrial Innovation, incubation industrialization on the one hand and
Revolution. “ agrarian distress on the other. Climate
Unlike many other countries, In- and start-ups are the change, growing levels of pollution, in-
dia is placed in an advantageous buzz words in today’s creasing demand for energy, eradicat-
position. India has a tremendous ing poverty and illiteracy are all major
demographic dividend that is waiting world and countries challenges that require innovative and
to be realized. and societies which out-of-box ideas.
In an aging world, India has one of An important aspect that needs the
the youngest populations. By 2020, are knowledge-centric attention of both the government and
the median age in India will be just 28, the private sector is the need to step up
compared to 37 in China and the US, and technology-driven funds for R & D. Similarly; the linkages
45 in Western Europe, and 49 in Japan. will play an increasing between the academia and the industry
With about 65 percent of the popula- have to grow organically.
tion below the age of 35 years, we need role in the global He said that Vel Tech is playing an
to convert this huge human capital economy, says Naidu important role in developing and sup-
into a force multiplier for the Indian porting entrepreneurs through its Vel
economy by technologically empower- Tech–Technology Business Incubator.
ing the youth. Entrepreneurship helps moting new technology/knowledge/ It is also quite heartening to note that
the economy of a country to grow and innovation-based impact making start- Vel Tech TBI motivated 103 young in-
create jobs. ups; build a vibrant startup ecosystem novators to start their own companies
Education lays the foundation for by establishing a network between aca- by using the facilities established at Vel
the progress of a nation. Today India demia, financial institutions, industries, Tech TBI.
has one of the largest numbers of high- and other institutions and to create He said that among QS top-ranked
er education institutions and holds an jobs, wealth and business in alignment universities, Veltech is the First and only
important place in the global educa- with national priorities. Member of CDIO (Conceiving-Design-
tion arena. Today, the country has an The Vice-President said that India ing-Implementing-Operating) initia-
opportunity to focus on innovation in is the fastest growing economy in the tive from India. The institute focuses on
the field of education to meet global world today and is projected to become research-intensive teaching and learn-
competitions. But this requires tremen- the third largest in the next 10-15 years. ing practices to create critical thinkers.
dous transformation from reorienting I am sure that the start-ups in the ser- Innovation and Entrepreneurship are
the curriculum framework to refining vices sector would play a prominent going to be the twin engines that propel
the infrastructure with the sole objec- role in propelling the economy in the India to a new era of economic prosper-
tive of imparting world-class quality years ahead. ity and social inclusion.
education. The Global Innovation Index has
With the country producing lakhs ranked India in the 57th position last letters@tehelka.com

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