NITI Aayog’s Two-day National Workshop On Strengthening State-Level R&D Ecosystems Concludes at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore

A two-day National Workshop titled “Sustaining Innovation: Embedding R&D of State Institutions,” held at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, with the agenda of fostering strong collaboration between senior policymakers, scientists, and academia throughout India to enhance the capacity to establish viable evidence-based policymaking and sustainable development in India.

The workshop was held through a partnership between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST). The primary goal of the workshop was to develop an institutional framework for incorporating research and development within state institutions, thereby facilitating scalable innovation and delivering impactful results.

Shri Suman Bery, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, speaking at the special address, stated that research at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is inherently linked to developing solutions to the problems encountered by ordinary people. Shri Bery stated that the Prime Minister’s direction was that there are many societal issues that may be resolved using technology, as well as that the research findings must be aligned with the priorities of the nation and serve the welfare of the citizens.

The workshop began with welcoming comments from Dr Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh, Pro Vice Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, who shared how universities have a responsibility to develop robust R&D environments throughout the world. In a video message from Amma (Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi), the Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, emphasised that the need for inclusion, caring, and responsible use of technologies are a very important part of society moving forward. Dr V. K. Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, stated that if R&D is supported at institutions, then innovation will continue and flourish.

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology has recently congratulated Amrita for its significant contributions to research. Prof. Dr S. Vincent, the member secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, also pointed out that Tamil Nadu is one of the leading states in the number of patents filed (approximately 5,000–6,000 each year). Amrita has played an important role in this growth, and he assured that the Government of Tamil Nadu fully supports Amrita in their efforts to create this “GI product”.

The workshop resulted in a collaborative agreement between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) in New Delhi, which includes an MoU. Dr Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam of CSIR-NIScPR signed the MoU to facilitate impactful science and technology research and innovation.

During the programme, a special session recognised the contributions of Shri Suman Bery, Prof. Lalnilawma, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development & Disaster Management, Government of Mizoram and Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam, as Leaders in policy-driven development and Innovation. The inaugural session also revealed the two Publications Released, “Changing Dimensions: A Journey from Immersion to Impact” and “Scholars for Sustainability”, highlighting Amrita’s work in converting Research to Society Impact.

The workshop had a total of Two Focused Technical Sessions and Panel Discussions regarding establishing the State Science and Technology Councils, Institutionalising Innovation via State Governments, and establishing a link between Grassroots Innovations and Policy Frameworks. Upon conclusion of the Deliberations, shared insight was developed, and a collective Roadmap for Building Inclusive Technology Driven Outcome-Oriented Research and Development ecosystems in each of the States was created.

There were a total of 79 External Delegates who attended the Workshop from Various Government Bodies, Research Institutions, State S&T Councils, and Academics from across the nation.