Want IIT Bombay to be city's centre of excellence: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay which recently received the 'Institute of Eminence' (IoE) tag has potential to become Mumbai's centre of excellence, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at IIT Bombay's 56th convocation ceremony, Modi said the institute should engage with school students through outreach programmes so that the passion for science, technology, and research is instilled into young minds from a tender age itself.

"We have about 700,000 students graduating out of engineering institutes. But not all of them are equipped with the skills for solving real problems. The idea is to have quality education and institutes like IIT Bombay can help bring that change," he added.

As part of the IoE tag, IIT Bombay will receive funds of Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years for the purpose of research, development and infrastructure improvement.

Recognising the fact that the IITs across the country have been an incubation centre for upcoming startups, PM Modi said several unicorns of the startup space have taken birth at campuses like IIT Bombay.

The government, said Modi, is looking to nurture upcoming projects by youngsters on areas like clean energy, waste management, and climate change. "Ideas to solve real-world problems like clean energy or climate change don't come from government offices, but from campuses like this," he added.

A total of 2,621 degrees were awarded this year, including 380 PhD degrees.

At the event, Romesh T Wadhwani, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Symphony Technology Group was awarded the Doctor of Science (honorary degree) for his efforts at creating social impact through the innovative use of technology.