Challenges create an opportunity of innovation: ISRO chairman

ISRO chairman K Sivan has asked students to work harder than others to achieve success and said that they have a critical role in the nation’s development.

“Three decades back, the job scenario was not as vibrant as it is today. Areas of specialisation limited the career option. Today, the job offers are many but there is uncertainty, volatility, complexity and ambiguity about the global economy. It is difficult to get your dream job or create a successful business. You have to really work hard than others to succeed,” K Sivan told graduating students of SRM Institute of Science and Technology at the 16th Convocation.

Students have a critical role to play in the national development, which will not only require efforts but also knowledge and wisdom, he said in a virtual address.

Talking about his personal life as a youngster, Sivan said, “After high school, I wanted to study engineering but ended up studying B.Sc mathematics. Later, I got in to engineering and wanted to join ISAT in Bengaluru but ended up joining VSSC. In VSSC too, I wanted to join aerodynamics but ended up in the PSLV project. At every stage of my life, I never got what I wanted to do in my life as my first choice. Nevertheless, I learnt a valuable lesson that life and career are not above making the best choices in life but are about making the best of the opportunity available to you. I also understood that if something is denied to you, something is bigger waiting for you,” he said.

Quoting Dalai Lama, he added, “sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck. Tomorrow, when you roll up your sleeves to take up the challenges of the nation and the world, you have to keep in mind the challenges of our country,” he told the students.

Each challenge is an opportunity of innovation. India aspires to be a nation of sustainable, equitable and inclusive growth. Today, the focus areas include high tech manufacturing with more of public and private sector partnerships and joint ventures to benefit from investment and technology transfer and increase skills among workers and make them more employable. The government has already announced space sector reforms for greater participation of non-government entities in space activities, he said.

ISRO’s next PSVL launch will have satellites from start-up. “I am happy to say that SRM-Sat is in very healthy condition and in the orbit. I request universities to come forward now that the reforms for space activity for private sector and the academia is open. ISRO is open to you all. I request SRM to come with innovative ideas in space activity as required by the Government of India,” he said.

Digital India initiative is another key area to leverage. ISRO has already initiated reforms to make its digital assets available to industries and start up for making innovative applications for navigation, earth observation and disaster management, he said.

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