President Droupadi Murmu’s focus on research, innovation, and startup culture as the cornerstone of Viksit Bharat by 2047 is both timely and deeply relevant. Addressing students at the convocation of the NIT, Jamshedpur, she articulated a vision that goes beyond degrees, placements and pay packages, and instead places national development, social impact and technological leadership at the centre of higher education. Her message carries particular significance for the NITs, which are among India’s premier engineering institutions and have historically played a decisive role in shaping the country’s technical and industrial capabilities.
Over the past decade, the global landscape of technology and business has undergone a dramatic transformation. The digital revolution, accelerated by artificial intelligence, data analytics, automation and advanced manufacturing, has compressed innovation cycles and disrupted traditional models. In this fast-evolving environment, large, slow-moving institutions alone cannot drive change. Startups-often small in valuation but big in ideas-have emerged as the real engines of innovation. They provide agile, cost-effective and disruptive solutions, and increasingly, they are shaping national capabilities in strategic sectors. NITs occupy a unique position in this ecosystem. Spread across almost every state and Union Territory, these institutes combine academic rigour with regional relevance. They produce thousands of engineers each year who are not only technically skilled but also deeply aware of local challenges-be it water management, waste disposal, infrastructure design, power distribution or digital governance. As President Murmu rightly noted, NITs must focus more on research and innovation to help India emerge as a global knowledge superpower.
Encouragingly, the Government has recognised the centrality of startups in this transformation. Over the years, a range of dedicated schemes-such as Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, Fund of Funds for Startups, and sector-specific incentives-have been launched to provide financial support, incubation, mentorship and regulatory facilitation. These initiatives have lowered entry barriers and empowered young entrepreneurs to convert ideas into scalable solutions. The impact of NIT-driven startups is especially visible in high-stakes domains like space and defence. Indian startups today are working shoulder to shoulder with leading scientists, contributing to satellite subsystems, propulsion technologies, materials engineering, electronics, software and data processing. Their role in recent space missions and defence modernisation efforts underscores how innovation-led entrepreneurship can strengthen national self-reliance and strategic autonomy. This is a profound shift from the past, when such sectors were the exclusive preserve of Government laboratories.
At the same time, President Murmu’s caution about the darker side of technology deserves serious attention. Cybercrime, data misuse and the growing menace of e-waste pose complex challenges that demand innovative, affordable and scalable solutions. Recycling technologies, secure digital architectures and sustainable design models are not just environmental or security imperatives; they are also emerging economic opportunities. A powerful illustration of this potential is Jaipur-based Gravita India Ltd, a global leader in recycling, established in the early 1990s by a student of NIT Srinagar (then REC Srinagar). From modest beginnings, the company has grown into a multi-thousand-crore enterprise with worldwide operations. This success story highlights how technical education, entrepreneurial vision and sustained innovation can converge to create global impact. It is not an isolated case. Across the country, NIT graduates are contributing technical solutions for sewage treatment plants, infrastructure projects, urban planning and critical restorations-often in challenging environments where efficiency and sustainability are paramount.
Each successful startup has a multiplier effect. It inspires another cohort of young innovators, builds confidence in indigenous capabilities and creates an ecosystem where experimentation is valued. Young minds are inherently tech-savvy and rich with ideas; what they need is guidance, mentorship and initial economic support. When these elements come together, the outcomes can indeed be beyond imagination.
President Murmu’s words, therefore, are not merely ceremonial advice but a strategic call to action. India’s youth must cultivate the courage to lead from the front rather than merely seek comfortable jobs. History shows that global technology giants-Apple, NVIDIA, Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, X, and Instagram-were all born from bold innovations and risk-taking. Innovation is the foundation of technical dominance and economic power. This synergy between youthful innovation and national purpose can transform the dream of Viksit Bharat into a lived reality.
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