TIRUNELVELI: Students should focus on innovation and contribute to increasing India's share of intellectual property patents, said Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi in Tirunelveli on Tuesday.
Speaking at the silver jubilee celebration of a private engineering college at Melathediyoor, Ravi said, "China and the US account for 46% and 18% of patents globally. Around 15 years ago, India was nowhere in this sphere. However, we created 22,000 intellectual properties (0.45%) by 2020, and the number has now crossed 90,000."
Highlighting India's progress in the global economy, the governor said, "India slipped from the sixth position in the global economic order to the 11th in 2014. However, over the past decade, we have risen to the fifth position and will soon become the third-largest economy. By the centenary of Independence in 2047, we must become self-reliant and technologically advanced."
He further stressed on the importance of technological research and innovation, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on intellectual property creation as a cornerstone of India's strength. "In Tamil Nadu, IIT Madras leads patent registrations with 400 patents in 2024 alone," he added.
Ravi also noted the relevance of technology to address societal challenges, particularly in healthcare, and emphasised the importance of sustainability of technologies. "Generative AI and robotics are transforming the world. While we missed the industrial revolution due to colonisation, we must now strive towards technological advancement," he said.
Pointing out India's historical contributions to knowledge, Ravi lamented the setbacks caused by invasions and colonisation over the past 1,000 years. He recalled that in 1788, English professors urged the East India Company to locate, collect, and translate ancient Hindu knowledge materials to enrich Europe. "We should take pride in the glory of ancient Bharat," he remarked.
The governor also praised Tirunelveli's historical legacy, recalling V O Chidambaram Pillai's contribution to the freedom struggle through the Swadeshi movement. "Visiting Tirunelveli feels like a pilgrimage, as this land produced Chidambaram, Mahakavi Bharathi, and Vanchinathan," he said.