President Ram Nath Kovind today said efforts should be made to convert innovative ideas into making affordable products, "else ideas will remain only ideas".
He was speaking at the concluding session of the Festival of Innovations and Entrepreneurship (FINE) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The exhibition, Kovind said, was meant at demonstrating to the industry, government and civil society how innovators are collaborating for a creative and compassionate India.
"But, showcasing innovations is not the sole purpose of this festival. We must translate innovative ideas into accessible and affordable products and services for our people.
"Otherwise ideas will remain only ideas– nice thoughts on paper and computer screens," the president said.
Kovind said it was important to "connect" the bottom of the innovation pyramid with the other layers and to clear the path for grass-roots innovations and should be enlarged for mass adoption.
Underlining that the innovation culture is not limited to science and technology, the president said it was a cross-cutting endeavour.
Innovation clubs in central institutions of higher education are expected to re-double efforts in discovering, spreading and celebrating innovation and in mapping unmet needs of urban and rural communities.
He said the regions in the country that grow bamboo, aromatic and medicinal plants are, generally speaking, regions with developmental gaps and challenges.
"This year FINE has focused on pooling innovations in the management and processing of such resources. The goal is to push development in these regions, by better using the natural resources available there," he said.
This will, he added, have a direct impact on livelihoods too.
He congratulated the participants and innovators for providing a glimpse of their "extraordinary minds", adding that their stories were inspiring.
The exhibition is open for the public till March 23, between 12 noon-5 pm.
Visitors can use gate number 35 of the Rashtrapati Bhavan near North Avenue to access the pavillions.
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