Purushotham Calls for Innovation Indices in State S&T Scoreboard

Andhra Pradesh Science, Technology and Innovation Department secretary Dr H. Purushotham has called for including indicators from the Global Innovation Index (GII) and India Innovation Index in the India Science and Technology (S&T) Scoreboard to enable a comprehensive assessment of the innovation capabilities of states.

Participating in the launch of the India S&T Scoreboard organised by Niti Aayog in New Delhi, he said the inclusion of these indicators would help assess the innovation ecosystem across states and facilitate comparisons of their performance.

Dr Purushotham stressed the need for the Centre and state governments to allocate adequate funds for research and development (R&D). He urged the Centre to provide financial assistance to states under the Science and Technology budget and called on state governments to prioritise research while preparing their annual budgets.

He also emphasised the need to strengthen research institutions, promote collaboration between industries and academic institutions, and encourage startups to build an innovation ecosystem.

He said taking research beyond laboratories and translating research outcomes into practical applications would support technological advancement.

Dr Purushotham appreciated Niti Aayog's initiative and said the Andhra Pradesh government was committed to strengthening the state's science and technology sector through research, innovation and technological advancement.