IITs have emerged as global brand: PM Modi

IITs have encouraged setting up of several engineering colleges around the country and have emerged as global brand, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Modi was addressing the 56th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) on Saturday.

''Innovation and new technology will decide thefuture direction of development in which IITs will play an important role,'' Modi said.

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''My appeal to youngsters is - Innovate in India, Innovate for humanity, from mitigating climate change to ensuring better agricultural productivity, from cleaner energy to water conservation, from combating malnutrition to effective waste management,'' hesaid.

Showering encomiumon IITs for the extraordinary work the country's premier institutes have done over the years, Modi said the nation is proud of IITs and what they have achieved.

''The confidence I can see on your face confirms that we are moving in the right direction,'' he said and added IITs were conceptualised to contribute to nation-building through use of technology.

Innovation is the buzz-word of the 21st century, he said and added any society which does not innovate will stagnate.

India is emerging as a hub for start-ups which shows the thirst for innovation, he said and added ''We must make India the most attractive destination for innovation and enterprise.''

Modi also announced a financial aid of Rs 1000 crore forIIT-Bombay on the occasion.

It was a large number of IIT students who built the IT sector of India, brick by brick, hesaid.

Earlier, Modi was accorded a warm welcome by Maharashtra Governor C V Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, state BJP chief Raosaheb Patil-Danve, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar and other officials upon his arrival at Mumbai airport.

As part of the ongoing IIT-B`s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Prime Minister inaugurated the new building of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering and the Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering.

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar was also present at the event.