Defence Secretary and Chairman of the Deference Research Development Organisation (DRDO) G. Satheesh Reddy said India needed to develop home-grown technologies, that is, Atma Nirbhar Bharat, and should grow from being an e importer of Defence technologies to an exporter in the next 10 years.
He stressed the importance of focusing on bio-medical engineering, stating that in top universities around the world both engineering and medical streams worked together to bring excellent health products.
Participated in the 12th Foundation Day celebrations of the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, held virtually here on Sunday, Dr. Sateesh Reddy said doctors and engineers should join hands to make strides in bio-medical engineering.
‘An opportunity’
He said the COVID-19 pandemic gave the country an opportunity to prove itself. India, which had produced 37,000 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits a year, was now producing six lakh PPE kits a day.
Stressing the need for working together by academia, research and development institutes and industry, Dr. Sateesh Reddy said: “So far we are followers of technologies. We must become leaders of technologies.”
Appreciating the innovations of the Centre for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE) of IITH, Dr. D. Nageswar Reddy Chief of Gastroenterology and Therapeutic Endoscopy, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, said medical experts should update themselves on developments in metallurgy and other areas.
IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said IITH could implement the new education policy which encouraged students to learn from different streams. IITH Director Murty was present.