Think global, innovate, produce world-class products: KTR to youth

Hyderabad: IT and Industry minister K T Rama Rao on Thursday exhorted students to think large and global and come out with world-class products.

Addressing the international conference on 'Innovations in Engineering and Technology' organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU-H), as part of its golden jubilee celebrations here, he urged students to turn job creators, innovators and disruptors, instead of job-seekers. He also told them not to get disheartened by failure.

"The government wants to be your first customer and be an enabler for your innovative ideas," he told the students. Stating that the State government had set up the T-Hub, We-Hub, T-Works, and TASK, the minister said students with ideas could approach them and come out with a product or an enterprise. The government would extend all funding avenues and mentorship support.

During a meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 'How to create new India' on the eve of 75 years of Independence earlier, KTR said he had suggested that for the country's development three 'I mantra'- innovation, infrastructure and inclusive growth was required.

Listing several innovative initiatives of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, he said the government had come out with TS-iPASS that enables entrepreneurs to commence operations without waiting for permission from the government, local municipality or gram panchayat, as long as they certify themselves to comply with the law of the land.

Comparing India and China economies in the late 1980s , the minister, said both countries had a 470-billion $ economy. Now, after 35 years, China's economy was 16 trillion $ and India was a 3.4 trillion $ economy.

Pointing out that India was focused on comparing with Pakistan and Bangladesh, he said China was more focused on making comparisons with developed nations, the US, Australia, Germany and France.

"We are more worried about other's caste and religion. We are not interested in marching into the future to make our country a glorious nation, but we are more interested in digging our own past wounds for votes," KTR quipped.