Latest news with #Saraswat
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
74 conferred degrees at EDII's 24th convocation
Ahmedabad: Vijay Kumar Saraswat, member of NITI Aayog and former secretary of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), on Friday said that the vision of Viksit Bharat, a developed India by 2047, is not merely a govt policy but a collective aspiration. It requires entrepreneurs to be its primary architects. Dr Saraswat was speaking at the 24th convocation of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) at Bhat near Gandhinagar, where he was the chief guest. He also said that research is no longer an issue with India – we produce great research and researchers. However, the issue lies in producing translational research where the gap between research and implementation must be filled, he added. The event saw 74 students of courses including PGDM-E, PGDM-IEV, and the fellow programme receiving their degrees. Those present at the convocation included Rakesh Sharma, EDII president and CEO of IDBI Bank, and members of the EDII governing board.
NDTV
25-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
India's Astronauts Vs Pakistan's Terrorists: A Tale of Two National Visions
New Delhi: As India prepares to send an astronaut into space, the contrast with its western neighbour could not be more stark. While India trains scientists and astronauts to explore the cosmos, state-sponsored terror continues to operate undeterred in Pakistan, Dr VK Saraswat, former Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and current member of NITI Aayog told NDTV. "It's a glaring example of the psychology of our adversary. While India has always focused on training its people for peaceful exploration of space, Pakistan has, unfortunately, chosen a path of fostering terrorism," Dr Saraswat said. His remarks come a month after a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam left 26 civilians dead. India then began Operation Sindoor on May 7 with air strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Our space program is globally recognised for achieving excellence at the lowest cost," Dr Saraswat emphasised. "It's a testament to India's commitment to peaceful progress and technological innovation." India's space journey began with Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's historic flight to space in 1984 and advanced to remarkable missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan. India is also planning its own space station and deep space missions, all aimed at advancing scientific knowledge and benefiting humanity. Next month, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled to travel to the International Space Station, marking another proud moment for India's space ambitions. Further, Indian Space Research Organisation's Gaganyaan mission aims to send Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit aboard an indigenous spacecraft. Contrasting with the advancements with the situation across the border, Dr Saraswat said Pakistan should leverage technology to better people's lives. "Terrorism is an anathema to social structure. It should be detested and removed. Instead of creating chaos, Pakistan should focus on science and technology for the betterment of its people," he said. With the motive of the betterment of people, Dr Saraswat suggested that India is open to collaboration with its neighbour in the space sector. "If Pakistan wants to work with us, we can even consider a joint space program. We're willing to share technologies that can uplift their population," he said. As India prepares to launch its next astronaut, its message and vision is clear - peace, progress, and prosperity through science.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India can emerge as global MCE hub with tech integration, says NITI Aayog member
New Delhi: India has the potential to establish a $25 billion plus export market in the Mining and Construction Equipment (MCE) sector by 2030, NITI Aayog Member Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat said on Monday. Speaking at the Mining and Construction Equipment Summit organised by the CII Eastern Region in New Delhi, Saraswat said that the roadmap depends on India's ability to integrate advanced manufacturing with intelligent systems design, indigenize critical components, and align with international performance and emission standards. 'A multi-pronged strategy is essential—one that includes long-term demand visibility through infrastructure pipelines, accelerated adoption of Industry 4.0 practices, public–private R&D investments, and the development of a unified testing, validation, and certification ecosystem,' he said. The summit was held under the theme 'Redefining Boundaries, Innovating a Sustainable Future'. Ambassador of Brazil to India and Bhutan, Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega, said Brazil's resource abundance and green energy ecosystem, combined with India's technological capabilities and industrial scale, offer natural synergies for bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors. 'This partnership can unlock new opportunities for sustainable development , enhance energy security, fostering a stronger economic and environmental partnership between the two nations,' the Brazilian envoy said. Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Stella Nkomo, said Zimbabwe's rich mineral resources and India's technological expertise, advanced machinery, and capacity-building capabilities make for a compelling partnership. She said that mining is at the forefront of Zimbabwe's economic growth strategy and highlighted the opportunity to establish strong industrial ties that can generate mutual benefits and drive economic development. BEML Chairman and Managing Director Shantanu Roy said unmanned autonomous systems are now operational in sectors such as metro rail and mining. 'The paradigm shift brought about by automation in various sectors is evident in examples such as UTO-grade metro rail systems and AI-powered mining equipment,' he said. CII Mining and Construction Equipment Division Chairman and TKIL Industries Managing Director and CEO Vivek Bhatia said India is well-positioned to reduce reliance on imports and boost domestic manufacturing by leveraging existing resources in steel, hydraulics, and electronics. Coal India Ltd Director (Business Development) Debasish Nanda said the adoption of advanced technologies is essential for sustainable growth in mining. He said substantial investment in R&D is needed to create domestic underground mining equipment and improve extraction processes. Eastern Regional Council Chairman of the CII Mining and Construction Equipment Division and BTL EPC Managing Director Ravi Todi said there is an urgent need for domestic capability building, indigenisation, and public-private partnerships . Western Region Chairman of the CII MCE Division and Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology MD & CEO Manojit Haldar said the collaborative spirit at the summit has laid a strong foundation for advancing innovation, sustainability, and global partnerships in the sector. A senior official from the Ministry of Heavy Industries said, 'The development of an export-oriented and standards-compliant MCE manufacturing ecosystem aligns with the government's vision of strengthening India's role in the global industrial value chain.'
NDTV
15-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"DRDO's Performance In Op Sindoor Was Stellar": Top Missile Scientist In NITI Aayog
New Delhi: Operation Sindoor was a true showcase of India's indigenous competencies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) deep capabilities, said Dr V.K. Saraswat, a missile scientist and member (S&T), NITI Aayog. All efforts to demolish DRDO should be buried once and for all, he asserted. The morale at DRDO, which is home to 5,000 scientists, was hit since two high-powered committees tried to restructure it at a mega level. In 2016, a government-mandated committee headed by Dr P Rama Rao, former secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, was constituted to conduct a comprehensive review of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It led to the creation of seven technology domain-based clusters headed by separate Directors General. It only added to more bureaucracy, said Dr Saraswat. Subsequently, in 2023, another nine-member committee was set up to "reform" the DRDO, headed by Dr K Vijay Raghavan, a basic science researcher by training and former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. The report was never made public, but experts said it had suggested dismembering the DRDO and hiving off its units to other ministries. "It was a futile exercise", asserts Dr Saraswat. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Dr Saraswat said, "Operation Sindoor has demonstrated the capacity and capability of DRDO to build the modern weapon systems in the strategic, air defence, air surveillance system and integrated command and control system sectors for air defence of the country. The success of missiles like Akash, BrahMos, hitting the Pakistani targets in pinpoint accuracy, engaging the Chinese aircraft, demonstrates that DRDO has the capability and capacity to build such a system." Dr Saraswat, a well-known missile scientist, added, "DRDO has the capacity and capability. And all the talk, which normally people keep saying that DRDO is not performing, has been completely denied and debunked today by the performance of what its weapon system has done." There was a time when the DRDO acronym was expanded as "Defenceless Research and Dud Organisation" by some critics. Dr Saraswat said, "I think it's time that all the criticism of the DRDO, which has been going on for so many decades, should be put to rest today because DRDO has demonstrated its capability in all fields of military technology. This was an Atmanirbhar war fought by India with the indigenous weapon systems and technologies developed by DRDO." "I think people who have been carrying this message through different reports, which have been done, the first report was done by Prof. P Ramarao when I was the secretary of DRDO and the latest report, which has been done by Prof. K VijayRaghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, completely shows that their thinking, their process of looking at how DRDO should perform, is completely out of tune." "DRDO has a very robust system of managing research and development along with industry, academia and within the 39 laboratories of the country. We have a very cohesive method of doing things. We have no regimentation. We have a democratic process of doing research and development, and we are in a position to do all that with the Indian industry," Dr Saraswat said. "You see the example of Akash. When we realised that Akash had to be manufactured in large numbers to meet future requirements, we went to two production agencies, Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. A large number of subsystems of Akash were coming from the private sector," he added. "I think Operation Sindoor and many past events have demonstrated that DRDO scientists can design, develop, and manufacture state-of-the-art weapon systems, whether they are ground-based, missiles, aircraft or electronic warfare systems. There is no segment of weaponry which is not handled by DRDO. Such a wide spectrum, I don't think anywhere it is available." "DRDO is the only organisation which covers every aspect of it, with the support of the armed forces to fight battles at sea, in high altitudes and cold climates. I don't think that there is an organisation equal to DRDO in the country which can provide that kind of a canvas," he said. "Since I am part of the DRDO, and will remain always, we feel that scientists of DRDO should feel very-very proud that they have done a great service to the nation by working relentlessly together in a harmonious manner for the last 50-60 years and brought our country to this level of excellence," Dr Saraswat further said. After a period of flagging spirits, Dr Saraswat added that after Operation Sindoor, the "josh" is back, and it is also high at the premier defence research organisation. He added that if India has to become a developed country, it has to protect itself through atmanirbhar defence systems
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Strategic independence crucial in critical areas: V.K. Saraswat
Strategic independence in critical sectors is essential to safeguard national sovereignty, V.K. Saraswat, NITI Aayog member and former director, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said here on Wednesday. Dr. Saraswat was speaking on 'Driving towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat through innovation and Intellectual Property (IP) monetisation' after inaugurating the National Technology Day celebrations at the CSIR-National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST). Strategy autonomy, resilient supply chains, domestic innovation capacity and technological sovereignty are vital aspects, he said. 'Strategic independence is crucial in critical areas where dependence weakens sovereignty or delays development or limits national innovation,' he said. India feels proud that weapons and equipment developed by the Indian scientific community in collaboration with industry partners performed so well during Operation Sindoor, he said. These contributions stand testament to the self-reliance India has achieved through the efforts of the scientific community, he said. Dr. Saraswat said his definition of self-reliance as 'the independence from controls of the international community.' This is vital in all sectors including trade and technology, he said. He defined leadership in science and technology, sustainability and green growth, entrepreneurship and digital economy and youth-led innovation as the foundations of the concept of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat.' Dr. Saraswat called for an IP-embedded governance model that supports the concept of 'Viksit Bharat's' goals for a $5 trillion economy. He underscored the need to shift India's Intellectual Property landscape from 'portfolio to performance.' Despite India's large startup base and innovation potential, low patent filings, weak IP culture in academia and MSMEs, and poor technology transfer from labs to markets hinder progress. C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, presided. He highlighted the importance of technologies developed by CSIR-NIIST, emphasising their relevance in addressing pressing societal and industrial needs, including applications in strategic sectors. Five technologies developed by CSIR-NIIST were transferred at the event.
