Narendra Modi addresses IIT-Bombay convocation ceremony, credits institutes for building 'Brand India' globally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the 56th annual convocation ceremony at IIT-Bombay and said that the success of the IITs led to the creation of numerous engineering colleges around the country. These colleges were inspired by IITs, and this led to India becoming one of the world’s largest pools of technical manpower, Modi said. Lauding the institutions, the prime minister said that the nation is proud of what the IITs have achieved. He said the IITs have built ‘Brand India’ globally and they did this over a period of time. “Today, the IITs are are at the forefront of some of the best startups in India, which in turn are at the forefront of solving so many national problems. IITs conceptualised to contribute to nation-building through use of technology,” he added.

IITs have built #BrandIndia globally. Today they are at the forefront of some of the best startups in India: PM Shri @narendramodi https://t.co/jUAUBwn41D

— BJP (@BJP4India) August 11, 2018

The prime minister also said that a large number of IIT students built the information technology system in India “click-by-click”, and now, the country has become the destination for IT development. India is emerging as a hub for startups, he said, while reminding the students that the “biggest corporations of today were the startups of yesterday”.

India has become the destination for IT development. Do not ever give up and you will succeed: PM @narendramodi Watch at https://t.co/sTmEdiZszx

— BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) August 11, 2018

Innovation and new technology will decide future direction of development, in which IITs will play an important role, he said, adding that IIT-Bombay is one of the institutions working for new technologies for a ‘New India’. Underscoring the importance of technology, he said 5G broadband, artificial intelligence, blockchain and machine learning will play a key role in smart manufacturing and building smart cities. IITs represent the diversity of India where students from different parts of the country and background merge in pursuit of knowledge and learning, the prime minister said. India is improving its innovation ranking, Modi said, highlighting his government’s initiatives in this regard. “The Atal Innovation Mission and Startup India have resulted in India having the second largest ecosystem in the world (for entrepreneurship promotion),” he said. The prime minister said that “innovation” and “enterprise” are the foundation stones of making India a developed economy, and a long-term sustainable technology-led economic growth is possible on this foundation. Calling “innovation” the buzzword of the 21st Century, Modi said that any society which does not innovate will stagnate. Modi also coined a new acronym for IITs, calling them ‘India’s Institutes for Transformation’. “Innovate in India, innovate for humanity,” Modi urged youngsters. “We must make India the most attractive destination for innovation and enterprise,” the prime minister said and added that this cannot happen through government efforts alone. “The best ideas do not come in government buildings or fancy offices. They come in campuses like yours, from youngsters like you,” Modi said. With inputs from PTI