India's Innovation Summit at GIFT City Charts New Path for Technology and Entrepreneurship

On March 22, 2025, the National Workshop on "Building Synergies in Indian Innovation Ecosystem" marked a significant milestone in India's journey toward becoming a global innovation powerhouse. Organized by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Gujarat Council on Science & Technology (GUJCOST) under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, the event was held at the prominent GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The conference brought together a diverse group of key stakeholders from across sectors, including senior government officials, renowned academicians, influential industry leaders, emerging startup founders, grassroots innovators, and notable international delegates. The comprehensive agenda facilitated in-depth discussions and exchange of ideas on crucial subjects such as increasing research and development (R&D) investments, state-level innovation policies, emerging global innovation trends, and strategies for grassroots entrepreneurship.

Distinguished speakers such as Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member (Science & Technology) of NITI Aayog, and Smt. Mona Khandhar, IAS, Principal Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, added significant value and vision to the summit. In his opening address, Dr. Saraswat underscored the necessity of stronger collaboration among government institutions, academia, and industry to accelerate innovation-driven economic growth. He specifically advocated for enhancing translational research to create tangible societal impact, urging a shift from India's traditional service-based industries toward product-driven enterprises, particularly in the domain of DeepTech startups.

Dr. Saraswat also highlighted several governmental initiatives designed to support innovation and entrepreneurship at various stages. He emphasized the importance of policy reforms and increased investment in the innovation ecosystem, suggesting these as critical components for India's global competitiveness.

Smt. Mona Khandhar elaborated on Gujarat’s proactive stance towards fostering innovation, highlighting strategic state policies such as the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Gujarat Semiconductor Policy, Gujarat Electronics Policy, and the Gujarat Global Capability Center (GCC) Policy. She outlined the state’s commitment to providing conducive environments for startups and innovation-driven businesses through streamlined regulations, financial incentives, and infrastructural support.

Dr. Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, a senior expert from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), provided a global perspective, outlining a clear roadmap for India’s innovation journey over the next decade. He noted India's growing intellectual property (IP) profile, marked by increased Indian-origin patent filings and the strategic expansion of Science and Technology clusters across the country.

The event featured engaging panel discussions moderated by eminent figures. "Bharat Innovates: Overview of the National Innovation Ecosystem," led by Dr. R. Ramanan, former Managing Director of the Atal Innovation Mission, examined comprehensive strategies for nurturing innovation at the national scale. Another critical session, "Navachar Niti aur Rajya Yojnaayein: Learning from the Best," chaired by Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Head, NCSTC, highlighted successful innovation models and best practices from various Indian states, promoting cross-state learning and collaboration.

Dr. Arvind Ranade, Director of the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), moderated an inspiring session titled "Navachar Ke Sarathi: Pioneering Innovations," which shared motivating narratives of grassroots innovators and the transformative startups they established. The global dimension of India's innovation was extensively covered in the panel "Vishwa Mein Ubharta Bharat," featuring international insights from Dr. Sacha Wunsch-Vincent and Dr. Rajul Gajjar, Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Technological University.

Concluding the workshop, Dr. Saraswat, along with senior representatives from NITI Aayog, Gujarat government officials, and the Former DG of CSIR & Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, articulated an ambitious future action plan. Emphasizing Gujarat's central role in India's innovation landscape, the panel called for sustained policy support, increased R&D investments, strategic international partnerships, and intensified efforts in nurturing startup ecosystems to propel India to global innovation leadership.