Gandhinagar, May 17 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday said that the state government remains committed to promoting the talent, innovation and creativity of young people, while addressing the inauguration of the new Incubation and Innovation Centre at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Gandhinagar.

The centre was inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma.

Addressing the gathering, Patel said creativity, innovation and design would play a decisive role in helping nations compete globally in the 21st century.

He described NID as a symbol of India’s creative capabilities and said the newly inaugurated centre would encourage young designers and innovators.

“The state government is committed to encouraging the talent, innovation and creativity of youth power. Gujarat’s entrepreneurial culture has contributed to the growth of startups in the state, with around 16,000 startups currently operating,” he said.

He added that the state had received the “Best Performer State” award because of this ecosystem.

The Chief Minister said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had transformed educational institutions into hubs of excellence and innovation through his vision and policy initiatives.”

Referring to the National Institute of Design Act, 2014, Patel said the legislation granted NID the status of an “Institute of National Importance” shortly after Modi assumed office as Prime Minister.

“The institutional strengthening of NID had led to substantial growth in student numbers over the years,” he said.

According to Patel, around 35 students graduated from NID in 2000, while the number had crossed 400 by 2025.

Patel also referred to PM Modi’s “Design in India, Design for the World” vision and said design had become an integral part of initiatives such as “Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat”.

“India’s startup ecosystem had expanded rapidly over the past decade, growing from fewer than 500 startups to nearly two lakhs,” he noted.

Calling NID a “global brand”, Patel said students at the institute were blending Indian culture, tradition and modernity to create designs with international relevance.

“The students here are giving a new direction to the world through the confluence of Indian culture, tradition and modernity,” he said.

Patel expressed confidence that the new incubation and innovation centre would become an important platform for designers and startups, particularly in emerging sectors.

“The facility would contribute to design development from chip to ship,” he added.

Union minister Piyush Goyal, who also addressed the event, said innovation, design thinking and entrepreneurship were central to the goal of achieving “Viksit Bharat @2047”.

“India had emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem and urged students to focus on sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and space technology,” he added.

–IANS

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