President Mukherjee wants engineers, scientists to leverage country's knowledge infrastructure

Asserting that the development status of a nation was fashioned by its technological prowess, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday called upon engineers and scientists to leverage the country's knowledge infrastructure to develop growth-inducing technology.

Inaugurating the three-day-long 28th Indian Engineering Congress, organised by the Institution of Engineers (India) here, Mukherjee said: "A nation's progress is not guaranteed by its stock of natural resources alone. On the other hand, deficiency of natural resource also does not close the gates of prosperity. The development status of a nation is fashioned by its technological prowess. Japan and Singapore are instances of nations that have developed on the sheer strength of cutting edge technology.'

"We have to leverage our knowledge infrastructure to develop growth-inducing technology. We have to make a choice of technologies for development based on socio-economic, environmental and security factors, and on availability of resource and infrastructure. I call upon the community of scientists and engineers to provide technology foresight," he added.

The President further said our immediate challenge is to reverse the economic deceleration and nurse our growth back to the eight per cent plus levels clocked by us in the past.

" Positive factors such as continuing rise in per capita incomes, expanding middle-class consumers, and a young and energetic workforce gives confidence that as the global economy revives, we will be able to secure faster growth," he added.

The President said: "To enable our growing brigade of entrepreneurs play a bigger role in the global industrial landscape, we have to address their level of competitiveness on top priority.

" I strongly believe that there is another milestone to be crossed in the quality and productivity journey. New operating models - flexible automation, multi-location production, deferred customization and disposable factories - have to be introduced through innovative engineering," he added.

Mukherjee further said innovation is a key strategy for growth and called upon Indian industry to develop strategic partnerships with universities and research institutions to take forward key innovation ideas.

The President called upon every engineering and technical institution in the country to make an all-out effort to help India develop a large pool of proficient scientific and technical manpower.

He also asked the Institution of Engineers (India) to think of establishing an Institute of Excellence in Engineering and Technology to create synergy between industry and academia through high quality engineering education and innovative research.