President Of India Inaugurates 'Exhibition Of Innovations' At President's Estate

EXHIBITION TO RUN FROM MARCH 10 TO 14

The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated an 'Exhibition of Innovations' in the President's Estate of Rashtrapati Bhavan today. This is perhaps the first time ever that a Head of State anywhere, has hosted an exhibition of innovations. The showcasing of this exhibition is in consonance with the vision of the President and inspiration received by the nation, following the declaration of this decade as the 'Decade of Innovation'. The President feels that the 'business as usual' approach will not do and there is a need for focusing on new ways of doing things in this decade. The event is therefore a lead taken by Rashtrapati Bhavan in this direction. The exhibition places before the public, innovations principally from grassroots innovators from unorganized sectors. The Exhibition will be open for viewing to the public from March 10 to 14 from 1000 hrs to 1700 hrs. Entry would be from Gate No. 35 of Rashtrapati Bhavan, situated near North Avenue.

The President took a look at the various innovations on display and interacted with the innovators. She was keen that the exhibits should not remain merely displays, but efforts should be made to take the next steps forward. This would involve helping the innovators link-up with industry and marketing agencies to fine tune their creations and then bring their products into the market. If found necessary the President's Secretariat would assist by asking the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, to help wherever required.

The principal objective of this event is to promote the innovative spirit and knowledge, encourage grassroots innovators and follow-up the process by bringing industry and manufacturers together to make the new products available for larger number of people for the good of society. This also is in consonance with the need for inclusive growth.

The principal theme of the exhibition is innovations which impact agricultural production and related fields. It is hoped that some of the innovations on display may be able, through this opportunity, to move forward on the road for learning and commercialization of the concepts and products.

The exhibition has participation from 32 innovators from around the country, with 36 innovations and products showcased. These include 9 new plant varieties, 3 innovations by students, 14 related to the agriculture and farming sectors and four energy and environment related exhibits.

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) whose function the President attended in November 2009 and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) are participating in this exhibition. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Prof. K.V. Thomas was also present.

This release issued at 12:40 hrs.