Information age rooted in India's inventions: Obama

A milestone in India's innovation story, 'zero', found a mention today in the address of US President Barack Obama who said the country's contributions formed the basis of the information age.

"Indians unlocked the intricacies of the human body and the vastness of our universe. And it is no exaggeration to say that our information age is rooted in Indian innovations -- including the number zero," the 49-year-old President said at the historic Central Hall.

He referred to India's "treasured past", noting that it is a civilisation that has been shaping the world for thousands of years.

India not only opened our minds, she expanded our moral imagination, Obama said.

The invention of zero is attributed to Indian mathematicians. It is said that Indian scholar Pingala (circa 5th-2nd century BC) used binary numbers. He and his contemporary Indian scholars used the Sanskrit word 'sunya' to refer to zero or void.