Union Minister of State Independent Charge for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047 will be driven by young innovators who create solutions and not by passive spectators of change.
The Minister was interacting with school students from Atal Tinkering Labs across the country at a special programme organised by the Atal Innovation Mission NITI Aayog on the eve of the 77th Republic Day celebrations.
Addressing students drawn from diverse regions and backgrounds Dr Jitendra Singh underlined that India is one of the youngest nations globally with a large proportion of its population below 35 years of age. He said this demographic advantage brings with it a responsibility to equip young minds with the skills confidence and opportunities required to innovate and lead. The ideas and choices of students sitting in classrooms today he said will define India’s growth trajectory in the decades leading up to 2047.
The Minister said the Atal Innovation Mission and the network of Atal Tinkering Labs were conceived to nurture innovation at the school level by shifting learning from rote methods to experimentation teamwork and problem solving. He noted that early exposure to hands-on innovation helps students discover their real aptitudes and prepares them for a technology-driven future.
Encouraging students to become creators rather than consumers of technology Dr Jitendra Singh said that access to digital platforms has democratised knowledge and reduced dependence on traditional learning spaces. He emphasised that the real challenge lies in using technology responsibly productively and ethically to address real-world problems.
Highlighting the importance of mentoring during adolescence the Minister said this phase of life plays a decisive role in shaping interests abilities and long-term goals. Structured innovation platforms such as Atal Tinkering Labs he said enable students to identify their strengths instead of following uniform or conventional career paths.
Referring to student innovations showcased during the interaction Dr Jitendra Singh said ideas spanning health hygiene safety agriculture artificial intelligence robotics environment and peer-to-peer learning reflected the expanding geography of innovation in India. He pointed out that nearly half of India’s startups are now emerging from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities demonstrating that innovation is no longer confined to metropolitan centres.
The Minister also urged students to focus on region-specific innovation drawing on local geography resources and challenges. He said students from coastal island hilly or mining regions have unique opportunities to develop solutions tailored to their environments and create sustainable innovation models.
Speaking on the convergence of innovation and entrepreneurship Dr Jitendra Singh advised students to think beyond prototypes and consider scalability market relevance and long-term viability. He highlighted the growing national support ecosystem for young innovators including mentoring funding patent facilitation and industry linkages through science and technology programmes.
The interaction concluded with the Minister calling the present decade a defining phase for both individual aspirations and national transformation. He expressed confidence that with curiosity discipline collaboration and guidance today’s young innovators will play a decisive role in building a self-reliant inclusive and technology-led India by 2047.
