An idea can turn into a billion dollar firm: PM

NEWDELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi linked Smart India Hackathon 2017 to his idea of New India as he maintained that innovation and technology will shape the future of India.

“India has been a hub of knowledge. We invented zero. We have travelled from zero to Mars, we have travelled from Upanishad to upagrah,” Modi said.

“Your innovations, products will change lives. Your approach will strengthen New India,” Modi said in his late evening address to thousands of innovators and engineers at India’s biggest innovation fest.

The PM personally asked questions during his interaction to students in different states to know about their plans.

“You will get more happiness from this exercise as it will help poor and may become the part of government’s policy,” Modi said in his address.

The hackathon is focused on the problems of social importance identified by 29 ministries and departments of the government. They identified 598 problems, which 7,531 teams of approximately 42,000 students responded to. Of them, 1,266 teams of 10,000 participants were shortlisted for the finale.

A student told Modi, “the dream of your New India is also our mission.”

Emphasising that demographic dividend will turn into development dividend for India through innovations, Modi also advised students not to give up on any idea.

He indirectly mentioned about how Steve Jobs started Apple from his car garage and said, “Everyone has power to dream. But dreams should be turned into resolutions. IT innovations had started even from a garage. I wish to say, don’t allow any idea to die. No one knows that idea can turn into a billion dollar company,” he said.