Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has said that the last eleven years have turned technology into the engine of India’s growth story. Addressing a press conference on scientific achievement in eleven years in New Delhi, Dr Singh said, in 2014, there were only 50 biotech startups, which has increased to more than ten thousand startups. Emphasising India’s strength in unity in diversity, he called biodiversity as an exclusive resource vital for sustainable development. Dr Singh also spoke about the crucial role of science, innovation, and governance reforms in shaping a New India.

The Minister said that India has progressed from being the world’s 10th largest economy to the 4th. Dr. Singh said that as members of the scientific fraternity, it is the department’s responsibility to present a roadmap that will guide them to the top. He added that this roadmap must focus on exploring new frontiers, sectors and regions that remain untapped and which can add significant value, thereby enabling the country’s journey from 4th place to 3rd, and ultimately to becoming the world’s number one economy.