Scientific research to be engine for 'Make in India': Harsh Vardhan

Says there is tremendous enthusiasm for the programme amongst the scientists and the corporate sector

The ‘Make in India’ programme is going to be one of the key focus area for laboratories and research institutions in the country, said Union science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan today.

“The ‘Make in India’ campaign is going to be one of the key areas on which our laboratories and our research institutions are going to work by finding out what are the problems of the country and solving those problems with technology,” he said.

Asked about reports, which claimed that not many private companies were keen on investing in defence manufacturing as part of the initiative, he said, “such reports keep coming and they keep coming prematurely”.

“I don't agree with any of these reports which may have been written prematurely. You have to give some time to the government, systems and the departments. I strongly feel there is tremendous enthusiasm for the programme amongst the scientists, technologists, engineers, industry and the corporate world,” he said.

Noting the programme had been launched in September last year, he said much effort had gone into its making and institutionalising.

‘Should not feel ashamed of our glorious past’

The minister said Indians shouldn't feel ashamed of their glorious past, which was aplenty with achievements in the fields of science, culture, arts, medicine, commerce and economics.

“One should not feel ashamed of our glorious past. We have to accept it and it had also been accepted by the international community. International documents too were published in recognition of our past that we had huge amounts of knowledge in every field,” he said in his reply to a query if the country’s political establishment was degrading the established modern scientific methods by fancying the ancient scientific achievements.

Stating that the Centre was keen on promoting research in the area of modern science like promoting Digital India and raising honorarium for researchers, he said “we should make our future brighter than the glorious past.”