Maharashtra to set up state innovation council: Banthia

PUNE: Industry must institutionalise its research and development process rather than letting it be an individual effort as is the case at present, said Jayant Kumar Banthia, chief secretary, Government of Maharashtra.

"Today, innovation is a small-scale individual enquiry. We do get innovations, but they are far too slow," he said, while addressing the Inclusive Innovation Summit 2013, on the theme 'Innovating Practises in Turbulent Times'. The summit was jointly organised by Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII) and the Singapore Management University, in Mumbai.

"Maharashtra will soon set up a State Innovation Council,""said Banthia adding that research and development requires financial support, and hence it was necessary to institutionalise the same to trigger the innovation mechanism.

Earlier, R Mukundan, Chairman, CII Western Region, and MD, Tata Chemicals, urged industry to be more inclusive. He criticised India's love for 'jugaad'. "Inclusive innovation is not about jugaad, but about taking world class products to the common man," he asserted.