The next major breakthrough in
India will come via micro-venture innovation finance, Indian President
Pranab Mukherjee said citing the country's long tradition of grassroots
innovations.
He said the Make in India, Clean India, and
Inclusive India, under which financial inclusion is of prime essence,
needs a significant push.
Mukherjee said Bangladesh's Noble
laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus had created an outstanding model for
microfinance that led to the emancipation of poor in developing
countries.
He spoke while addressing a global roundtable on
inclusive innovations at Rashtrapati Bhavan in India yesterday where
Yunus was the guest of honour, Yunus Centre said in a statement.
"To
my mind, the next major breakthrough will come through micro-venture
innovation finance, which has been pioneered by the Honey Bee Network
and National Innovation Foundation," Mukherjee said.
The union
minister of science and technology for India, Harsh Vardhan, is
spearheading the scientific and technological strategies for an
inclusive growth under the leadership of the Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
"The Make in India, Clean India, and Inclusive
India, under which financial inclusion is of prime essence, needs a
significant push," the president said.
Youth
power has to be galvanised for nation-building, he said. "Thus, the
students have to be encouraged to sense the unmet needs of the common
man, and search, spread and celebrate innovations."
India has had
a long tradition of grassroots innovation. From time to time, the
common people in this country have ushered in novel solutions to
overcome their day-to-day difficulties, he said.
"A healthy
eco-system is needed for harnessing the innovative potential of various
segments in different sectors and at multiple levels in our society.
"Creating
an inclusive eco-system calls for linkages between grassroots
innovators on the one hand, and academic institutions and market forces,
on the other," Mukherjee said.
