Chandigarh: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday highlighted research and innovation as the twin engines that will propel India towards technological leadership, while urging young graduates to remain rooted in the country's development journey.

Delivering the address at the 20th convocation of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra, he said true 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) comes when innovations reflect India's identity and benefit not only its people but humanity at large.

“Your generations must focus on Swadeshi innovations—solutions rooted in Indian knowledge, resources, and needs,” Radhakrishnan said. He noted rapid changes in fields like artificial intelligence, renewable energy, space technology, biotechnology, cybersecurity, and semiconductors, describing technology as a powerful enabler transforming industries and daily life.

The Vice President highlighted initiatives such as Digital India, Startup India, and Make in India, praising India's emerging role as a creator rather than a mere adaptor of technology. He lauded NIT Kurukshetra's research in low-cost indigenous technologies aimed at rural areas, MSMEs, and agriculture, emphasizing bridging the rural-urban divide.

Advising graduates to stay connected to India, he said, “We must move from brain drain to brain gain with our brightest minds serving the nation. Exposure abroad should ultimately benefit mother Bharat. I wish you that the next Google, next Tesla, the next SpaceX must emerge from India through you.”

Radhakrishnan also appreciated the institute's holistic learning initiatives, including the Centre for Holistic Personality Development, and lauded its legacy of securing 64 patents. Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and NIT Director Prof B V Ramana Reddy attended the ceremony.