Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday stressed the need for universities to not only focus on their academic excellence, but also build an innovation ecosystem through a greater level of partnerships with industry leaders.
Addressing the 79th anniversary celebration of Alagappa College of Technology (ACTech) here, he said while India produced a large number of engineers, the country’s share in the global high technology trade was not commensurate to its potential. He said universities should develop a strategic approach to position themselves as a knowledge hub and catalyse innovation.
He lauded the AC Tech Alumni Association (ACTAA) for its initiative to nurture research and entrepreneurial ecosystem at the institution through the ACTech Research Foundation formed by the association. With India to account for one-third of the global youth population by 2035, he said it was important for everyone to make use of this demographic dividend and work towards developing the nation.
