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Innovation key to self-reliant India: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot

Innovation key to self-reliant India: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot

The Hindua day ago

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, speaking at the launch of the national campaign Innovasthan – a Vichar to Vikas Yatra in Bengaluru, on Saturday, emphasised innovation as the cornerstone for building a self-reliant India and achieving global leadership.
Organised by the Council for Industrial and Innovation Research (CIIR) and Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the event highlighted India's rise in the Global Innovation Index—from 81st in 2015 to 40th in 2023.
Mr. Gehlot praised initiatives such as 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and stressed the importance of intellectual property (IP) management. Karnataka's 6,500+ patent filings in 2022–23 were cited as a model, with a call for educational institutions and MSMEs to prioritise IP.
He urged that innovation must permeate education, policy, industry, and society, making it a national priority for sustainable development.

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Kabaddi goes global: A new league draws up an international playbook with Olympic goals—but can it last?
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Innovation is key to self-reliant India: Governor
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Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday said innovation is the only path for India to achieve self-reliance and global leadership in today's intensely competitive world. Highlighting India's rich heritage of innovation, the Governor said, 'India has always been a land of ideas. From the ancient universities of Takshashila and Nalanda to medical pioneers like Charaka and Sushruta, and mathematical legends like Aryabhata – innovation lies at the heart of our civilization. Today, it's not just about thinking; it's about transforming ideas into impactful reality.' He was addressing the gathering at 'Innovasthan – A Vichar to Vikas Yatra', a national campaign focused on fostering innovation, intellectual property (IP), and enterprise-led growth. The event was jointly organised by the Council for Industrial Innovation and Research and Jain (Deemed-to-be) University in Bengaluru. Gehlot noted India's remarkable rise in the Global Innovation Index, moving from 81st position in 2015 to 40th in 2023, and emphasised that innovation in India must expand beyond laboratories to influence policy, education, industry, and society at large. 'To become a global innovation leader, India must bring together its higher education institutions, startups, MSMEs, corporate sector, and policy bodies onto a common platform,' he said, adding that coordination and collective commitment must make innovation a national mission. The Governor also emphasised the growing potential in India's startup ecosystem. 'With over one lakh startups and 110 unicorns, India is now the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. However, only a fraction of these are protected by intellectual property rights. This gap must be bridged through greater awareness and institutional support for IP protection,' he said. Referencing the Patent Annual Report 2022–23, he lauded Karnataka for filing over 6,500 patent applications but urged stakeholders to further accelerate these efforts, especially within higher education, MSMEs, and startups. 'Innovation is being encouraged at every level—schools, colleges, universities, industries. The government is also supporting this with the National Intellectual Property Policy. Our universities must be encouraged to establish IP centres and adopt frameworks to manage and commercialize intellectual property,' he said. Calling for a mindset of 'Innovate – Protect – Scale,' Gehlot stressed the importance of national initiatives like Startup India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Innovation Mission, and Make in India in nurturing innovation ecosystems. 'An idea, a tool, a device, or an app that improves lives is more than just technology—it is development in action.' Praising Bengaluru as a hub of technology, education, and cultural vibrancy, he commended Jain (Deemed-to-be) University for its contribution to the city's emergence as a premier education centre. The Governor also described 'Innovasthan' as a movement aligned with the vision of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to build a self-reliant and innovation-driven India.

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Bengaluru: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot Saturday called for urgent action to bridge the intellectual property (IP) gap in the country's booming startup ecosystem and underlined the importance of establishing IP centres in universities. Highlighting the country's rise in the ecosystem globally (third largest now) with over 1 lakh startups and 110 unicorns, the governor warned that only a fraction is currently protected by IP rights, suggesting the need for increased awareness and institutional support. H e was speaking at the launch of Karnataka chapter of Innovasthan, a campaign focused on fostering innovation, IP and enterprise-led growth. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Quoting Patent Annual Report 2022-23, Gehlot praised Karnataka's contribution of over 6,500 patent filings, but urged universities, MSMEs and startups to further accelerate IP-related efforts. "Innovation is being encouraged at every level, from schools to industries. Our universities must take the lead by establishing IP centres in accordance with the national IPR policy and by adopting robust frameworks to manage and commercialize intellectual property," he said. AICTE chairman TG Sitharam praised Karnataka's strong contribution to engineering and innovation, especially through premier institutions in Bengaluru. Drawing parallels with China, he stressed that India could compete globally by leveraging its vast talent pool. He also called for regional language integration in technical education, urging that textbooks be developed in Kannada, with local institutions and experts taking the lead in making education more accessible and inclusive. Chancellor of Jain (deemed-to-be) University Chenraj Roychand was present on the occasion. — Prathikaa Shastry

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