Bengaluru, Jan 11 (PTI) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday emphasised that research and development, along with innovation, must become the "passwords" for success. He also stressed the need for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to accelerate their efforts in these areas.

He was speaking at a gathering at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)-Electronics Division here, in the presence of Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and others.

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"Research and development, innovation—these must now be the passwords for success. R&D investment in our country was previously not even considered; it was seen as a dead investment. Neither the public sector, government, nor private sector thought of it," Dhankhar said.

Pointing out that, in the process, we became parasitical, relying on others for terms and prices, he said, "Then came an era where gloom turned into hope and possibility. Development occurred through toilets in homes, water in taps, affordable housing, cooking gas, roads, and digital connectivity. Over the past 10 years, the progress has been phenomenal."

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The commitment, dedication, level of understanding, and expertise of the human resources in PSUs are unmatched and unrivalled by the private sector, the VP said, adding, "They work for the nation under conditions that hardly compare with those in the private sector, often facing challenging circumstances."

Noting that BHEL's role in 'Viksit Bharat' is significant, he urged the company to focus on synergies with like-minded institutions—academia, engineering, and the private sector—to foster innovation and meet contemporary demands.

He also advised BHEL to collaborate with engineering institutes, IITs, and scientific organisations to create opportunities for human resources.

Averring that no country in the past decade has developed as much as India and that no population is as driven by aspiration and expectation, the VP said, "We need to ignite the ambitions of young minds to pursue startups, and every startup must be supported by organisations like BHEL for necessary guidance and mentorship."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)