Innovation, original research key for meaningful economic growth: Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan recipient Prof MM Sharma
New Delhi : Graced by the presence of the Chief Guest Prof M. M. Sharma, Marwadi University (MU) — the youngest institution to be recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Government of Gujarat — recently concluded its 5th Annual Convocation Ceremony, conferring over 1946 degrees to students across Engineering, Management, Science, and Law, among others. With one of the highest number of foreign students in India from over 53 countries, close to 200 international MU students from 19 different countries also received their degrees during the convocation.
Students were inspired by the presence of Prof. M. M. Sharma — a legendary figure in engineering, credited with a host of achievements in the field of chemical engineering and STEM and awarded with India’s highest civilian honours (Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan) for his contributions. In his keynote speech Prof M.M. Sharma stressed on the critical role of innovation in triggering economic growth and its impact on nation-building.
During a report presentation by Prof. (Dr) Sandeep Sancheti, Provost, Marwadi University on the growth and progress witnessed, Prof M.M. Sharma, added that, “Inventions are driven by sheer curiosity and a fire in the belly. Failures are harbingers of success and must be honoured. With perseverance, originality, fundamental research, and an enabling environment and the freedom to experiment, one can commercialize their inventions transforming them into innovations which drive economic growth and contribute to nation building.”
At MU efforts to set up a special space lab are underway, with initial internal funding of INR 1.9 Cr towards launching the first student satellite under the ‘75 Student Satellite Mission’. Significant efforts to catalyse student innovation via tie-ups with a host of government agencies, namely, NewGen IEDC, The Student Startup & Innovation Policy (SSIP), Gujarat Council on Science & Technology (GUJCOST), Centre for Environment and Development (CED), apart from tie-ups with an innovation and intermediary and business incubator T-Hub, have also been inked. As of today, MU in collaboration with various government initiatives has funded more than INR 3.5 Cr, and aided 130 + ideas for the development of innovative prototypes that have been completed via its in-house MUIIR Centre. MUIIR also closely works in the direction of Transfer of Technology (ToT) and with a few projects transferred to interested stakeholders.
Recently, the varsity also set a record by aiding the filing of more than 140 IPRs in a single day, a majority of which have been granted. Frontier technologies such as AI, IoT, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, EV Development, have the potential to reach over USD 9.5 trillion by 2030, according to the UNCTAD Technology and Innovation Report 2023.
The convocation was presided over by the President of Marwadi University, Mr. Ketan Marwadi; Vice-President of MU, Mr Jitubhai Chandarana; Provost, Prof. (Dr) Sandeep Sancheti; Mr. Naresh Jadeja, Registrar; and other deans, directors, and principals from various departments at MU. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ketan Marwadi, said, “Today, more than 1900 students will be entering a new phase in their growth journey. We have left no stone unturned to prepare and empower students with skills and abilities to face the real world. We’re extremely fortunate for endless possibilities and opportunities and as budding professionals, you must grab them. Stay humble, grounded and accept failures as a stepping stone to success”.