Sam Pitroda. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, March 25: The launch ceremony of Orissa chapter of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) — an organisation of Indo-US entrepreneurs — was attended by chairman of national commission for innovation council and advisor to the Prime Minister of India, Sam Pitroda.

Pitroda today said he would give a proposal to chief minister Naveen Patnaik for constitution of a state-level innovation council in Orissa.

“Only such a council can ensure the country’s march ahead on the road to economic prosperity,” said Pitroda.

He also said Orissa has the potential to become the knowledge hub of the east. “The state has many leading institutions. It needs to package its available strength properly and present it on a global platform.”

He also pointed that the Centre was planning to set up a billion dollar fund to carry out research programmes. “We have to be innovative in every sphere starting from governance to the social sector. Only through innovative steps, the gap between the rich and the poor can be reduced,” he said.

“India has 300 million illiterates and 400 million poor people. So, an attempt should be made to create a pool of innovators, who can come up with innovative measures to lift the economy,” he added.

He said there was need for greater coordination between the industries and the universities. He pointed that the state-level innovation council was planning to create an atmosphere where teachers could be engaged in research activities and scientists could be engaged for imparting education for a few days every year. “The programme should be made to reach out to the masses. We will soon start a reality show on innovation on television,” he said.

He also said that the first phase of the telecom revolution has come to an end and the time had come for broadband to take a new shape.

“We will connect all the panchayats of the state with broadband and other communication facilities,” he said.