Knowledge pilgrimage for innovation & growth

Innovation and effective use of science and technology are much needed for growth, said The Honorable Vice President of India.

At an event in Chennai, India, themed, “Listening, Learning and Leading,” Honorable Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India stressed the importance of lifelong learning for personal and professional growth. Science and technology, education, youth development, culture are valuable for national growth, stated Naidu.

Need for sustainable agriculture, utilisation of technology to deliver important goods to the public, have become very important in the current liberalised, privatised and global economy (LPG) stated the Vice President. It was pleasing to note that the focus was on the need to interact with students and scientists. In his two years in office, the Vice President has delivered 61 convocation addresses, stressing the importance of education. Naidu termed such interactions as “Knowledge Pilgrimage.”

Government schemes such as the direct assistance to farmers need to reach the masses swiftly which can be delivered effectively through technology. Professor M S Swaminathan, the noted agricultural scientist made a clarion call to enhance farm productivity and the quality of farm products. This factor needs to be considered by the Indian cotton sector, as the yield is less than the global average yield. Cotton yield/acre in China and Australia and three times that of India—a fact, worth noting.

Amit Shah, Home Minister of India, who released the book on “Listening, Learning and Leading,” emphasised the importance of listening and learning, which are needed for leaders.

“Make-in-India“ initiative promoted by the current Modi government has given a greater push for many industries to focus on research to develop value-added products. Chennai-based Carborundum Universal Ltd., Aruppukottai-based Jayalakshmi Textiles, Bengaluru-based Resil Chemicals and Coimbatore-based Kanaka Lakshmi Textiles, are a few companies that are going on a high gear to transfer their R&D efforts into market place.

Additionally, Indian government is promoting the start-up culture as a way of employment generation. Chennai-based WellGro United is a good showcase which has taken an Indian made product to a global scale by having marketing collaboration with Lubbock, USA-based E Innovate, LLC in releasing “Towelie,” an oil absorbent nonwoven mat.

Industry-Institute Interaction (3Is) needs to be a priority, which is well practiced by institutes such as Ichalkaranji-based DKTE Society’s Textile & Engineering Institute.
Professor Sridhar Narayanan of Chennai-based Great Lakes Institute of Management, who attended the event stated that technology is much needed for national growth and more importantly it should help the people in the lowest rung of the society.
(By: Seshadri Ramkumar, Professor, Texas Tech University, USA)