New Delhi: Stressing upon the importance of innovation, Union Minister of Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan said that it (innovation) would be the key factor which would boost India's economic growth to reach at USD 5 trillion by 2024-25.
While speaking at the launch of NITI Aayog's Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) programme, Dharmendra Pradhan said, "India's crude oil import bill is pegged at Rs 6 lakh crore per annum and the country will become the largest consumer of oil in the next 15 years. Can Atal Community Innovation Centre come up with innovative methods which will help India in reducing its fossil fuel import bill? Innovation is the key for India to become a USD 5 trillion economy."
The minister also promised NITI Aayog that he will direct the oil and steel public sector undertakings (PSUs) to contribute the money of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSRs) to the programme.
He said India produces approximately 600MT of non-fossilized biomass through farm waste which, if converted into energy, can help to prosper the rural economy and promote sustainable energy future.
NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said that the programme will be launched in 484 districts which are the unserved regions of India. Over this, Pradhan urged NITI Aayog to open innovation centres in all Gram Panchayats of the country to promote local innovations.
NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, "We want to make India most innovative nation in the world."
The proposed focus areas of the programme are tier 2 and tier 3 cities, smart cities, aspirational districts, North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, rural and tribal areas of India, as well as the unserved region of tier 1 cities.
NITI Aayog will also take Public Private Partnership mode to ensure financial sustainability and participation of central agencies to mobilise resources for the programme.
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