Industry & Academia Need to Come Together: Venkaiah Naidu

The Vice President of India, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the education system should be reoriented by ensuring greater linkage between academia-industry to make students employable.

He was addressing the gathering at the Vel Tech University in Chennai. The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Banwarilal Purohit and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President wanted the government, academia and the industry to come together to look into reorienting the education system so that students coming out from the portals of higher education institutions are employable or become self-employed.

Earlier Mr. Naidu visited the Nidhi-CoE Lab at the university. He said that business incubation has been globally recognized as an important tool for economic development and job creation. He further said that the innovation, incubation and start-ups are the buzz words in today’s world and countries and societies which are knowledge-centric and technology-driven will play an increasing role in the global economy. For us in India, this is the time to seize the opportunity and promote the culture of innovation and technology-based entrepreneurship, he added.

He lauded the Institute for its focus on research-intensive teaching and learning practices. Innovation and Entrepreneurship are going to be the twin engines that will propel India to a new era of economic prosperity and social inclusion, he added.

Vice President Mr. Naidu mentioned, "I am extremely happy to join you this morning and interact with students, faculty members and entrepreneurs of the innovation-based start-ups promoted by the prestigious Nidhi –CoE lab in your institution. I am informed this is the only Centre of Excellence in the private sector among the six such CoEs approved in the first phase."

HE also said, "Business incubation has been globally recognized as an important tool for economic development and job creation. Keeping this in view, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division of Department of Science and Technology (DST) has been supporting technology-based startups through its flagship programme of “Technology Business Incubator."