Pitrodas tips to the young

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Innovation Council would launch the National Innovation Fund with Rs 5,000 crore corpus in June-July to provide help to innovators in the country, said Sam Pitroda, adviser to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations.Interacting with entrepreneurs and students on the topic ‘Leadership and Innovation: Ideas for India’ at Technopark on Wednesday, he said that, as part of the project 150 clusters would be started across the country to seed innovation. “The idea is to build innovation culture. The leaders should think out of the box and should be ready to take risks. They should not be worried about failing and all of this needs innovation,” said Pitroda.  He said that the Indian Government has put in 70 billion dollars for the educational transformation and for the creation of National Knowledge Network, which has already connected colleges and Universities in the country.   “Another Rs 30,000 crore has been earmarked for connecting all the panchayats in the country, which would provide network capability at the village level. Also we have asked the State Government to form Innovation Councils at the state level,” he said.  Pitroda told the youngsters that one has to dismantle the old systems to create new and that they have a large role to play on the kind of India that we build. “Good ideas are the key to success. I feel that imagination is more powerful than knowledge,” he said.  Elaborating on the 2020 vision, he said that the educational and health sectors should undergo total transformation.  Pitroda highlighted on how leadership is a catalyst and source of creativity and innovation. He said, with the Internet bringing the entire global community together there is high potential for innovation and the opportunity to change the paradigm of conventional development ought to be utilised.  Shaffi Mather, Fellow, Aspen India Leadership Initiative and and V K Mathews,president, Group of Technology Companies also were present on the occasion.