Symposium on ‘Imagining India@2047

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India (DARPG), in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Madras organized a three-day symposium on ‘Imagining India @2047 through innovation’ during 07-09^th March, 2022 at IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP).

Across the three days of the Symposium, over 400 delegates in-person & those joining in virtually observed thematic presentations under the overarching theme of ‘Research and Development,’ and ‘Innovation and Digital Governance,’ by senior IIT Madras Faculty, Entrepreneurs & Civil Servants.

The insights into the evolving technologies across ten varying themes of innovation not only provided delegates with the opportunity to ideate, conceptualize, & strategize the Vision 2047 with each other during the Symposium, but effectively established the foundation for strong collaborations to translate in scale in the subsequent years to come.

Over the three days, discussions were held on the following sub-themes: –

1. Water @2047: A glimpse into the challenges and opportunities
2. How can we make India the leading example of large-scale affordable healthcare by 2047?
3. Telecommunications in 2047
4. Disability and Assistive Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities
5. Digitising Transactions
6. How soon can India get to net-zero?
7. Updation of Regulations for Accommodating Innovations in Housing and Construction
8. Asset Integrity Monitoring of Physical Infrastructure
9. A 25-year roadmap for universal higher education
10. From creating financial inclusion to ensuring Financial Freedom
11. Digital Governence
12. Inclusive growth in the Indian Agri Value Chain
13. Evolution of AI in enhancing Information and Security for Industries
14. Why Design-in-India is as important as Make-in-India for being truly AtmaNirbhar
15. People-centric, accessible & innovative governance
16. Biomicrofluidics- why biomedical research must change
17. Unlocking value for dairy farmers through Digitization
18. The electric future of mobility

Apart from the thematic presentations, each diverse nucleus consisting of academia, Government, and entrepreneurs were given the platform to present the innovative solutions that came through from their collaborative exchanges across the Symposium.

Going forward, a detailed Vision paper will be prepared by each of the larger merged groups which will be updated every six months over the next three years. These documents will be evolved continuously to develop the roadmap for Vision India 2047.

The participants included Shri S.N.Tripathi, DG, IIPA, Smt Varnali Dekha, DC & DM, Kokrajhar, Assam, Shri Jitendra Kumar Soni, Mission Director, National Health Mission Rajasthan, Dr Neha Garg, Director, NHM II, Government of India, Dr. Piyush Singla, DC Anantnag, South Kashmir, Shri Rai Mahimapat Ray, DP Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, Shri Ruchir Mittal, Director, Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare, Government of India, Shri Amitabh Ranjan, Registrar, IIPA, Shri Shubham Saxena, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture and farmers Empowerment, Government of Odisha, Shri Thavaseelan, District Magistrate, DC, MON, Nagaland, Dr. S.Chitra, Labour Commissioner, Government of Kerala, Dr Adeela Abdulla, Director, Department of Fisheries, Dr Sajith Babu, Director, Department of Civil Supplies, Shri Ansul Garg, DC Jammu, Shri Abhishek Surana, CEO Jhodpur ZP, Rajasthan, Shri Prashant Sharma, Special Secretary, D/o MSME, Government of UP, from States/Central Govt.

Faculties of IIT Madras who attended were Professor T Pradeep, Institute Professor, Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor, & Professor of Chemistry in IIT Madras, Founding faculty – International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW), Professor Mohanasankar S, Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, head of IITM’s Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC), Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Former Director of IIT Madras, Head of Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CeWiT), Professor Sujatha Srinivasan, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Head of TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras, Founder of Neomotion, Professor Gaurav Raina, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, Chairman of the Mobile Payment Forum of India, Prof. Ravindra Gettu, Dean for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research, & V.S. Raju Chair Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, at IIT Madras.

Startups who attended were Mr. Puneet Gupta, Co-Founder of Kaleidofin, Mr. Anil SG, Founder & CEO, Samunnati, Mr. Tarun Mishra, Co-Founder & Chief Strategist, Detect Technologies, Mr. Srinath Ravindran, Co-Founder & CEO, Agnikul Cosmos, Mr. Ranjith Mukundan, Co-Founder & CEO, Stellapps Technologies, Kannan Lakshmi Narayanan, Co-Founder of Motorz & Founder, Director of Fractal Foundation.

Professor Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras and Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President of IITM Research Park & IITM Incubation Cell addressed the valedictory session.