30 innovators receive DST-Lockheed Martin award

Thirty innovators received the DST-Lockheed Martin India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP) Award in 2015, an official statement said here on Wednesday.

The IIGP received a record 1,300 applications for innovative ideas across industries ranging from agriculture and textiles to defence and healthcare this year.

The programme aims to enhance the growth and development of India's innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits by launching early stage Indian technologies into the global marketplace.More than 6,000 technology applications have been evaluated so far.

The winning innovations of IIGP 2015 provide technologies that can facilitate the promising missions of the government of India, like, Swachh Bharat, Clean India, Green India, Make in India, Digital India, and the recently adopted Healthy India.

The award function was jointly organised by FICCI, along with the department of science and technology, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Indo-US S&T Forum, IC2 Institute, University of Texas at Austin and The Indus Entrepreneurs.

"Through the India Innovation Growth Programme, we challenge innovators to bring forth ideas and innovations that will shape the future of industries across the country," said Lockheed Martin's chief technology officer Keoki Jackson.

"This is a tremendous partnership between government, academia and industry as well as a primary example of how we are supporting Make in India's goal to position the country as a hub for global manufacturing," he added.

Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan who was also present in the event said there was no dearth of scientists in India and there is innovation taking place all over the country.

He added that the real achievement will happen when these innovations will translate into something which benefits mankind by addressing and solving several problems which are also missions for the government as well.