New Delhi: Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, emphasized that young innovators are the backbone of India’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem and will play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future.
He was speaking as the Chief Guest at the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards 2024 ceremony.
Prof. Sood noted that innovation must be deeply rooted in societal needs and focused on developing affordable, sustainable, and scalable solutions. He highlighted the importance of technology-led interventions in key sectors such as healthcare, sanitation, agriculture, energy, and environment, stating that technology should ultimately make life easier for the common citizen.
The GYTI Awards are organized annually by SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions) in collaboration with the Honey Bee Network.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Anil Gupta, Founder of the Honey Bee Network and Chairman of SRISTI, stressed that student innovations gain real meaning only when they address grassroots challenges.
He underlined the role of the Techpedia platform, launched in 2009, in providing national visibility to student projects, preventing duplication, and fostering collaboration between students, academia, and industry.
The GYTI Awards 2024 received an impressive 560 submissions across 32 disciplines from undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students across India.
Following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation by eminent scientists and academicians, 71 high-quality innovations were shortlisted for recognition.
The award ceremony was chaired by Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, former Director General of CSIR and Chairman of the Reliance New Energy Council.
The event was also attended by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, along with several senior scientists and academic leaders.
Prof. Sood concluded by stating that achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 will depend significantly on nurturing young innovators, and platforms like GYTI are vital in strengthening India’s innovation pipeline.
