Innovation to determine India growth story; starts-ups, human capital changing rule of game: Pradhan

new delhi: start-ups and human capital are changing the rules of the game, education minister dharmendra pradhan said on friday, adding innovation would determine the india growth story in the future."ancient india was the land for innovations and today, modern india, acting as vishwa mitra, is leveraging technology to bridge the gaps and reach new heights. destined to be viksit bharat by 2047, india aims to make research, innovation and entrepreneurship the key drivers of its transformation," pradhan said.he was delivering the inaugural address at mega research and development fair "iinventiv-2024" at iit, hyderabad."the goal is to make india a manufacturing hub which would contribute at least 25 per cent to the country's gdp as compared to 17 per cent currently. the government has focused on augmenting the manufacturing sector through important policy changes, such as 'make in india', 'invest in india', pli (production-linked incentives) scheme, and fdi liberalisation. these initiatives will act as a catalyst in india becoming the third largest economy in the future and achieve the target of being a five-trillion dollar economy," he added.noting that 46 per cent of the global digital transactions happen in india, pradhan highlighted the government's focus on the deep tech start-ups ecosystem in critical sectors like defence, drone and space technology and robotics.a total of 120 innovations from 53 higher education institutions including iits, nits and iisers are on display at the fair."the 'iinventiv-2024' is not just a meeting point for academia and industry, but also a powerhouse that drives economic growth, job creation, and nurtures a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. the innovations showcased here, emanating from india's premier institutes, are instrumental in shaping the trajectory of the nation, " pradhan said."i am confident this initiative will serve as a catalyst for transformative change, opening doors to new possibilities and leading us towards a brighter and more prosperous future," he added.among the several innovations that will be showcased at the two-day event is an instrumented smart shoe insole for quantifying gait; an iot-enabled uric acid sensor system; a non-invasive ultrasound bone densitometer for estimating bone mineral density and a device to measure respiratory rate in children.rapid test kit for malaria detection, an anti-hail gun for preventing crop destruction and low-cost landslide monitoring and early warning system are also among the innovations. the featured projects span an impressive range, encompassing advancements from orthopaedic implants to the development of a micro-gas turbine engine and 3d printed sustainable building and structure.these remarkable innovations stem from a broad and collaborative spectrum of participating institutions, including iits, nits, indian institutes of science education and research (iisers), indian institute of information technology (iiits), indian institute of science bangalore, and the top 50 nirf-ranked engineering institutions in the country."through iinventiv we are forging an unprecedented alliance between academia and industry, unleashing a wave of innovation that will propel our nation towards a brighter future. this gathering of 53 future-focused institutes of higher learning is showcasing 120 ground-breaking projects, demonstrating the transformative impact of research from these higher education institutes," said b.v.r mohan reddy, chairman of bog, iit hyderabad."by uniting over 2000 industry stakeholders, this event becomes a powerhouse of innovation and entrepreneurship. the innovations unveiled here are not mere inventions, they are instrumental in shaping the trajectory of our great nation. with unwavering confidence, i believe this initiative will serve as a catalyst for transformative change, opening new doors to endless possibilities and leading us to a more prosperous future," he added.the five themes of the research and development fair are   affordable healthcare; agriculture and food processing; sustainable technologies including climate change, e-mobility, clean energy; defence and space and industry 4.0.among the industries, top stakeholders including cyient, honeywell, applied materials, bharat forge ltd, icici, synergy, sun pharma, suzuki motors, bosch, schneider electric, and ntpc, among others, were present at the iinventiv-2024 inaugural event.the first edition of iinventiv was hosted by iit delhi in 2022 where a total of 75 diverse array of technologies encompassing climate change, sustainability, smart city architecture, rural agriculture, affordable healthcare, and drone technology were showcased by 23 iits.the third edition of the mega fair will be hosted by iit madras.